Minister Bibeau chairs FAO conference in Italy and strengthens links with our international partners

OTTAWA, ON, - The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food concluded her ministerial outreach to Italy today, where she chaired the biennial Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations Conference, met with bilateral counterparts and with Italian businesses in the southern region of Puglia.

Minister Bibeau was the first woman to ever chair the FAO conference and the first Canadian to do it since 1997. This year's FAO theme was water resource management. Canada urged conference participants to leverage innovation and collaboration even more with farmers and stakeholders to better manage precious water resources to produce more food to feed the world. 

In addition to presiding over the conference, Minister Bibeau met with Italian agri-food stakeholders, Canadian industry associations, and Canadians working at Rome-based international organizations and agencies. The Minister highlighted the strong economic ties and common values between Canada and Italy, especially the mutually beneficial trade in Canadian durum wheat, and how to increase trade and investments between Canada and Italy already benefitting under the Canada-EU Comprehensive and Economic Free Trade Agreement (CETA).

Minister Bibeau also met bilaterally with the Philippines, her international counterparts from Australia, Netherlands and Mexico, and Italy's Minister of Agriculture to reinforce Canada's commitment to deepening and diversifying agricultural trade; promoting Canadian agriculture and agri-food products; increasing the sustainability and innovation of agricultural production; and global food security.

On the sidelines of the FAO Conference, Minister Bibeau chaired a roundtable with women ministers and leaders working in the agriculture and agri-food sector, where they discussed ideas on advancing gender equality and ways to increase female leadership in the sector. This included the kinds of investments governments could make in order to have real and positive impacts—whether in innovation, digital infrastructure, or facilitating access to financing, training and agricultural land.

During her two days in Puglia, the Minister toured local farming operations, Italian milling and pasta companies to discuss ways of enhancing business ties with Canada and to promote sustainable and innovative Canadian agriculture. The Minister met with Andriani SpA located in Gravina in Puglia, a firm specializing in gluten-free products that will be locating its first North American production facility in London, Ontario. Minister Bibeau also met with officials from Candeal Commercio, an Italian miller and important buyer and processor of Canadian durum wheat. The Minister's meetings further included pasta producer, La Molisana, a large purchaser of Canadian grain that is used in products for their export markets, as well as Mulino Caputo, a world-renowned miller of specialty flours, and Amber Srl, which is an important trader of both durum and soft wheat.

Throughout her visit, Minister Bibeau reaffirmed Canada's commitment to remain a reliable source of safe, high-quality agriculture and agri-food products to the world, and shared Canada's views on the importance of achieving more sustainable, resilient and inclusive agri-food systems.