New partnership to advance meat processing innovation

Meat & Poultry Ontario joins Bioenterprise Canada

Guelph ON,  – Meat & Poultry Ontario has joined Bioenterprise, Canada’s Food & Agri-Tech Engine, as a collaborative partner. The two organizations have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will support research and innovation in Ontario’s meat processing industry.

Meat & Poultry Ontario is launching the new Centre for Meat Innovation and Technology (CMIT) in collaboration with the University of Guelph. CMIT will provide training and partnership opportunities that support product and process development and adoption of new technologies, as well as showcase meat science research.  

“Bioenterprise welcomes the opportunity to work closely with Meat & Poultry Ontario to promote the new Centre and support innovation in the sector,” says Bioenterprise Canada CEO Dave Smardon. “The lack of available skilled labour is a serious challenge facing meat and poultry processors across all of Canada and we hope the Engine’s network will help foster new partnerships and growth opportunities nationwide.”

Meat & Poultry Ontario is an industry association that represents the interests of meat and poultry processors, abattoirs, butcher shops and retail meat outlets in the province, as well as related suppliers. This includes government advocacy, as well as providing regulatory and technical support to its members and working to address industry-wide challenges like labour, training and competitiveness.

“This new partnership with Bioenterprise will make the Engine’s national network and its Canada-wide expertise and resources available to Meat & Poultry Ontario members, as well as help us get the word out about the new Centre,” says CMIT Director Luis Garcia. “Although we are located in Ontario, we welcome opportunities to collaborate with stakeholders and businesses across Canada and the Engine will play a key role in helping to facilitate those opportunities.”

Both organizations will look for opportunities to support each other’s activities and work together on innovation initiatives of mutual interest that support innovation and adoption of new technologies in the agriculture, agri-food and agri-technology sectors.

As Canada’s Food & Agri-Tech Engine, Bioenterprise Canada brings 20 years of industry experience and a national network of research institutions, academia, mentors and experts, funders and investors, government, and industry partners to help small and medium-sized businesses in Canada’s agri-food sector connect, innovate, and grow.

Meat & Poultry Ontario is the representative voice of Ontario’s meat industry. Our members are independent businesses proud to serve the communities they live and work in. The association is comprised of meat and poultry processors, wholesalers, and retailers; industry suppliers; and not-for-profit organizations that support MPO’s objectives. Ontario’s meat and poultry sector employs 25% of Ontario’s food and beverage processing industry — the single largest manufacturing employer in Ontario — and generates $11.2 billion of the province’s $45 billion food and beverage processing industry revenue.