Canada's Untapped Economic Potential: Keeping Crop Exports at Home

A recent study commissioned by Protein Industries Canada suggests that keeping more crop exports in domestic plants could add billions to Canada's GDP and create thousands of jobs. The report, which was released during the Plant Forward trade show in Saskatoon, estimates that redirecting just 10 per cent of Canada’s raw crop exports to domestic value-added processing could generate up to $5.4 billion in additional GDP.

The study targeted four sectors: human food, animal feed, ingredient processing, and bio-industrial applications. Potential downstream uses for Canadian crops and agriculture byproducts include making biopolymers and lubricants from oilseeds, resins for 3-D printing, biodegradable packaging, and pharmaceuticals.

Michael Graydon, CEO of Food Health and Consumer Products of Canada, a trade association for food manufacturers, agrees that more capital investment in agri-food is needed to keep more food production at home. He points out that the commodity sales stay the same whether it's domestic or international, but by processing crops domestically, job opportunities are created.

The report also suggests launching a two-province pilot project that would see an agreement on 'mutual testing, certification and documentation requirements' to break down inter-provincial trade barriers. This is seen as a key step in expanding the industry and diversifying Canada's economy.