ANNUALREPORT

CREATE,INNOVATE &

COLLABORATE

AGRICULTURE & FOOD COUNCIL OF ALBERTA

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORSMESSAGE

Bryanna KumpulaExecutive Director

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AFC is changing. In 2016, AFC’s Board of Directors set a new strategic direction and 5 year pan. It’s an ambitious plan. One that will grow the value-add-ed agri-food industry in Alberta and Western Canada while connecting small, medium enterprise to global opportunities. The following are just a few highlights of our move towards achieving our strategic goals and becoming a sustainable leader in Alberta. AFC continues to be a leader in identifying and addressing systematic barriers to economic equality for women. The Success for Women in Agri-food initiative entered into its second year and with the guidance from our steering committee, we have identified gaps and challenges that that prevent women led agri-food entrepreneurs from building and growing their businesses. 2017 will see the launch of a provincial wide pilot program to address these opportuni-ties. AFC developed the Functional Food and Bioactives Network, as a way to bring together researchers, production capability, entrepreneurs, marketing specialists, business coaches and funders together to share initiatives, develop new partnerships and identify capabilities in the province regarding the development of functional food and bioactives from Alberta commodities. Through this network we have created multi-sector research and development initiatives to develop value-added products in Alberta. A

great example of this was the joint initiative with the Alberta Rhodiola Rosea Growers Association to rebrand, and provide marketing materials and support to showcase at international shows while assisting with the development of a functional value-added tea that can be made in and retain more value in Alberta. The Niche Meat Processors Network was launched this fall to provide provincial abattoirs, stand-alone butchers, and restaurants with access to easy to find food safety resources and experts to develop fermented and cured meats. It brings together a range of stakeholders to share information, find best practices, and learn from each other, while adhering to or exceeding Alberta food safety requirements. I would like to thank the AFC staff members for their continued and outstanding efforts in representing the Alberta agri-food community and striving to achieve our strategic goals. We are very fortunate to have a volunteer board that consists of a group of extremely talented individuals from all over Alberta who spend countless hours providing strategic guidance to our organization. We are thankful to our funders, the Status of Women Canada, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, and Alberta Labour for their continued support of our initiatives. I look forward to achieving even more in 2017!

LETTER FROMTHE CHAIR

AFC entered into its 22nd year of operations with renewed enthusiasm and optimistic outlook on creating value for Alberta’s agri-food industry. AFC has been working diligently on becoming a Council that facilitates Alberta’s current food and agriculture industry in growing the western Canadian economy. With valued input from our members and industry partners we are on the road forward, delivering the required services to help our clients achieve optimum benefit and move their businesses forward.

With our renewed strategic plan we aim to bring maximum financial returns to our economy through increases in both profits and jobs. Our food industry must serve both local and global markets with high quality food and value-added products. This starts with continuing to export our excellent commodity products, while adding economic opportunities through their value-added potential and consumer ready goods. We are ready and willing to work collaboratively to achieve our goals and welcome your input and involvement in our initiatives.

On behalf of the Agriculture & Food Council’s Board of Directors, I would like to thank our members, supporters, and funders, for their ongoing support. A big thank you also goes out to the AFC staff for their dedication and innovation in delivering on our goals. We look forward to creating, innovating and collaborat-ing to build the Alberta agri-food industry in the coming new year.

Vision: AFC will be the recognized catalyst in advancing a market driven and sustainable agri-food industry in Alberta.

Mission: A sustainable breakthrough organization that connects and serves the agriculture & food sector.

AFC Board of Directors (2015 - 2016)Barry Mehr – ChairDavid Bressler – Vice ChairCarla Rhyant - Secretary/ Treasurer David Hill - Director at LargeDieter KuhlmannTanya McDonaldWendy LamJacquie FenskeDebbie Walker

AFC Staff (2016)Bryanna Kumpula – Executive DirectorMelissa Bourgoin – Director of EngagementBranko Jankovic – Functional Food & Bioactives Network Project ManagerHeather Broughton – Success for Women in Agri-food Community AnimatorCassandra Rasko – Project CoordinatorAngela Cia – Project CoordinatorPat Oberg – Bookkeeper

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Barry MehrChair

AFC OVERVIEW

AFC is an industry-led non-profit society (est. 1994), comprised of members from across Alberta's agri-food industry. Acting as a catalyst, AFC encourages growth, sustainability, competitiveness & innovation in advancing a market driven and sustainable agri-food industry in Alberta.

AFC delivers programs and provides services to develop strong leaders who are working on solving today’s agri-food challenges.

We value innovation and entrepreneurship, continuous improvement, and collaboration. We work with entrepreneurs to provide mentorship, strategic support, and access to resources to launch and expand agri-food businesses. AFC has a global network of experts in marketing, operations, financing, and strategy to assist companies in thriving locally and globally.

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AFC GOALS

Strategic Goals

By 2021 a successful AFC will be:

a) Innovative: moving from products to "solutions" to address changes in the trade landscape and improve the international competiveness of SMEs; and introducing innovative processes that enable the organization to deliver value for money. b) Responsive: the organization will continue to respond to needs of industry, working closely with government and not-for-profit organizations as partners for initiatives to assist in creating an ecosystem that enables SME success.

c) Market-led: using opportunities in international and domestic markets to drive the development of the agri-food sector and connecting clusters of companies and institutions to international value chains for growth and sustainable development.

d) A partner: AFC will strategically partner with private sector, foundations, academia, and other not-for-profit organizations to enhance the SME network and multi-sector R&D collaborations.

Improve International Competitiveness

of Alberta Based SME’s

Improve the Interconnectedness

of Support Organizations

Improve Multi-disciplinary / sector Reasearch +

Development Collaborations

Strengthen Alberta’s Value-added Sector in the

Global Economy

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PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT: FUNCTIONAL FOOD & BIOACTIVES NETWORK

Together, we’re working to build Alberta’s value-added functional food and bioactives industries into globally competitive, profitable, and sustainable leaders

VISION - The FFBNetwork’s primary directive is to play a pivotal role in cultivating Alberta’s value added products, functional food and bioactives sector by facilitating the development of novel, commercially viable technologies and products.

MISSION - To support Alberta's research community, industry, and other partners for the development of advanced technologies and value-added products in the emerging functional foods and bioactives industries.

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A CATALYST DRIVING POSITIVE CHANGE IN THE AGRI-INDUSTRY

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Many of the value added opportunities in Alberta are based on a technology or ingredient. There have been several successes in Alberta where a primary crop can be extracted or modified into high value products through technology development. These types of opportunities will continue into the future as our researchers discover new products that meet an unmet consumer demand or new technology is developed to improve products, make them cheaper or address other emerging issues like the environmental impact of current processes. These types of opportunities typically take many years to develop and can require significant investment. Successful projects will require large capital investment to build a commercial scale manufacturing facility.

Another opportunity for value added is to make quality consumer ready products to address demand from the consumer market. This is best accomplished by focussing product development on consumer trends and addressing emerging issues. There are numerous ways to view market opportunities that arise from trends and some of these include:

• Diet preferences like vegetarian, vegan, paleo, flexitarian, and ethnic foods.• Allergies like gluten free, dairy free, and peanut free.• Protein alternatives to meat.• Clean and simple ingredients.• Certifications like GMO free, organic, cruelty free.• Anti-aging applications.• Specific health indications- immune, gut, metabolic, etc.• Social responsibility- animal treatment, fair trade, supporting causes.• Convenience, social media, and many more.

Developing consumer ready products will generally require less time and money but will still face the market development challenges- starting with a good product and a good market segment reduces these risks.

New crop opportunities also result in changing consumer trends driving demand for certain products. Some of these that are relevant to Alberta include:

• Hemp- it is regarded as a superfood with its seeds highly nutritious, and high quality fractionated products like hemp oil and hemp protein• Pulses- this includes yellow peas, lentils, chickpeas, and faba beans driven by global demand for protein• Cereals- healthy whole grains, gluten-free options, and healthy constituents like beta glucan and resistant starch offer new opportunities• Niche crops like Rhodiola rosea and mushrooms that provide a therapeutic benefit

As part of our activities at the Functional Food and Bioactives Network, we endeavour to stay current with these trends and opportunities and match them up with local capabilities. We host regular monthly meetings to convey this valuable information to the agri-community for their future planning and to inspire future entrepreneurs and investments.

THE OPPORTUNITY IN VALUE ADDED

For more information contact:Branko Jankovic – Project ManagerBranko.Jankovic@agfoodcouncil.com780.4169.3714 ext. 226

www.agfoodcouncil.com/�n 7

SUCCESS FOR WOMENIN AGRI-FOOD (#S4WAg)

PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT:

This has been a great opportunity to speak with a number of women across rural Alberta and learn about the many significant contribu-tions to the agriculture and agri-food industry through their business-es from primary agriculture, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), to production of processed food products, and other value added products. They openly talked about their successes as well as the challenges or barriers they faced in the businesses they are currently in.

For some, it was the barriers that stopped them from getting started. The objective of the Success for Women in Agri-food project is to

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“I AM MOST EXCITED TO SEE POTENTIAL IN WOMEN REALIZING AND EXPANDING ON THEIR ENTREPRENEURSHIP.”JACQUIE FENSKE

develop and implement a program for rural women to address barriers to increase the capacity and success of those women within the regional food system.

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Through the many discussions, it was certainly recognized that women’s definitions of success were individual and different for each, but the common themes were financial viability and profitability, feelings of accomplishment and satisfaction, achieving a work/life balance, the ability to have equal input into decisions, making decisions and choices with confidence, and being accepted and respected as equal contributors to the agri-food industry.

As determined from the data collected, to overcome the barriers identified, it was important to focus on developing a program that increased access and opportuni-ty to skill development, increased knowledge base, knowledge transfer, expanded relationships, increased confidence and capacity within a supportive and open environment, and complementing those characteristics unique to women.

AFC was proud to present the Success for Women in Agri-Food Debut Event to showcase and kick start the 2017 Pilot Program. On November 19th, 2016, in three locations across rural Alberta, a combination of delivery formats were used to provide presentations to start addressing those barriers identified through the surveys and conversations. This was the first opportunity to sample the learning of practical take home concepts, meet other women entrepreneurs in agriculture and agri-food, and learn about what’s to come in 2017!

We are excited for the Success For Women in Agri-Food program launch in late January 2017. This unique opportunity for women entrepreneurs in rural Alberta will focus on building skills needed to make confident business decisions, forming

networks and sharing information, learning about other successful women entre-preneurs, desired mentorship, and understanding the importance of getting involved in policy conversations and decision making delivered in rural Alberta. Women do and will continue to grow in their roles in agriculture and agri-food contributing to a stronger vibrant industry – within her is the power to create, grow and transform.

A word from the Advisory Committee:

Debbie knew some of the barriers, like policy making and felt women are an untapped resource in the agri-food community. This was further reinforced as she was impressed with the women on the advisory committee who were of such high caliber and great mentors. When asked about the success of S4WAg, Debbie says, “Just the other day a female farmer’s market vendor wanted to know more about the program and was excited about the debut.” How truly rewarding to see S4WAg reach the community and engaging women in agriculture. Also encouraging were Debbie’s thoughts on Heather, “I really enjoyed working with Heather, she was personable, professional, organized, and knowledgeable and when she said things were going to get done they were.” The future and direction is very exciting for S4WAg with resources and mentors available for women in agriculture.Another advisory committee member Kim Good echoes Debbie’s statements, “The importance of S4Wag is to connect women in agriculture with each other, create business opportunities, encourage personal and professional development and the potential to participate in advisory or policy opportunities.”

For more information contact:Heather BroughtonHeather.Broughton@agfoodcouncil.com780.608.7374

www.agfoodcouncil.com/s4wag

“YES WOMEN HAVE A VOICE, YES THEY CAN USE THAT VOICE, AND THERE ARE THINGS YOU CAN DO WITH THAT VOICE.” DEBBIE SCHIELKE FROM SCHIELKE FARMS.

“I’M EXCITED TO GO THROUGH THE PILOT PROJECT AND APPLY SKILLS TO MY OWN PROJECTS.” KRISTEN RITSON-BENNETT FROM BLUE ROCK ANIMAL NUTRI-TION LTD.

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DEBBIE SCHIELKE

Developing consumer ready products will generally require less time and money but will still face the market development challenges- starting with a good product and a good market segment reduces these risks.

New crop opportunities also result in changing consumer trends driving demand for certain products. Some of these that are relevant to Alberta include:

• Hemp- it is regarded as a superfood with its seeds highly nutritious, and high quality fractionated products like hemp oil and hemp protein• Pulses- this includes yellow peas, lentils, chickpeas, and faba beans driven by global demand for protein• Cereals- healthy whole grains, gluten-free options, and healthy constituents like beta glucan and resistant starch offer new opportunities• Niche crops like Rhodiola rosea and mushrooms that provide a therapeutic benefit

As part of our activities at the Functional Food and Bioactives Network, we endeavour to stay current with these trends and opportunities and match them up with local capabilities. We host regular monthly meetings to convey this valuable information to the agri-community for their future planning and to inspire future entrepreneurs and investments.

AGRIHUB – IMPROVING THE INTERCONNECTEDNESS OF SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS

Step into AFC’s office and you’ll automatically see benefits of working in a shared space. Messages, roll call, ideas and thoughts are literally written on the wall. Hallway conversations occur every day as the Agriculture & Food Council and the Alberta Rural Development Network share ideas, projects and receive and give advice. Working alongside different organizations in the same space, gives opportunities that otherwise might not happen.

Collaboration is a key factor when working in any industry, but it has proven to be beneficial for both AFC and ARDN. The relationship began as ARDN would use AFC’s boardroom regularly for their meetings. However, as they became more established in their current programs, they decided to commit to sharing the space with AFC on a long term basis.

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ALBERTA RURAL DEVELOPMENT NETWORK ‘S (ARDN) STORY:

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Executive Director, Dee Ann Bernard of ARDN states, “Having this critical mass of people with different ideas and seeing how other people do things has, I think, really helped both organizations.” Indeed, networks have expanded and so too has the understanding of each organization. Interconnectedness and sharing space between organizations goes beyond organizational benefit boosting morale.

Potlucks, events, and even lunch are more enjoyable with more people in the room. The increased diversity of age and gender also contributes to this dynamic fusion between the two organizations. There’s a greater sense of community and investment in each other’s projects and the desire to see both organizations succeed. This shared space enables employee and volunteer sharing reducing overhead costs and facilitating success. ARDN also has the opportunity for greater capacity if they require it. AFC is flexible with office space and personnel as to not limit ARDN’s potential.

Developing consumer ready products will generally require less time and money but will still face the market development challenges- starting with a good product and a good market segment reduces these risks.

New crop opportunities also result in changing consumer trends driving demand for certain products. Some of these that are relevant to Alberta include:

• Hemp- it is regarded as a superfood with its seeds highly nutritious, and high quality fractionated products like hemp oil and hemp protein• Pulses- this includes yellow peas, lentils, chickpeas, and faba beans driven by global demand for protein• Cereals- healthy whole grains, gluten-free options, and healthy constituents like beta glucan and resistant starch offer new opportunities• Niche crops like Rhodiola rosea and mushrooms that provide a therapeutic benefit

As part of our activities at the Functional Food and Bioactives Network, we endeavour to stay current with these trends and opportunities and match them up with local capabilities. We host regular monthly meetings to convey this valuable information to the agri-community for their future planning and to inspire future entrepreneurs and investments.

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In September of 2016 ARDN and AFC partnered on a Skills Link grant application with limited time remaining to the deadline, each organization used their strengths, networks and stayed late to get the application submitted on time. It was such a positive experience that we are looking at other projects AFC and ARDN can run together. Big ideas, encouragement, reality checks and being able to get different perspectives are invaluable results from sharing this space.

AFC promotes this type of interconnectedness and encourages organizations to visit us. We have That Place, a program where you can choose the level of commitment and space you wish to work out of. Enjoy visualizing your projects by writing on the wall and collaborate with ARDN and AFC. As you can see collaboration is a huge theme in our office and it has been very successful and gratifying to collaborate and enjoy the successes of organizations we work with in our space.

Learn more: www.agfoodcouncil.com/thatplace “WORKING IN AN OFFICE SPACE ADDED A SENSE OF LEGITIMACY AND SENSE OF SECURITY FOR OURORGANIZATION” JOSH BERNARD, SUSTAINABLE HOUSING COORDINATOR, ARDN

“ARRGO AND AFC GAINED CRUCIAL MARKET INTELLIGENCE BY ATTENDING THE TRADE SHOWS” ANGELA CAI, FFBNETWORK, PROJECT COORDINATOR

IMPROVING MULTI-DISCIPLINARY,MULTI-SECTOR RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

Working with AFC brings a suite of benefits. We want to see you, your organization, technology, ingredient or product succeed. Armed with information from our international market research, vast networks and information on how markets work, we are fully prepared and committed to reaching your organizations goals. We worked with the Alberta Rhodiola Rosea Growers Organization (ARRGO) in 2016 and we’ve highlighted our major successes with ARRGO below.

In October 2015, AFC attended SupplySide West and began communication with ARRGO. They had a booth at the ingredient show highlighting Rhodiola rosea, commonly known as Roseroot or Goldenroot, is a perennial plant native to

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Northern Europe and Asia, valued for its properties as an herbal adaptogen. Rhodiola rosea has been used by olympic athletes, cosmonauts, herbalists and physicians as a natural means for boosting physical and mental performance while aiding the body's resistance to stress-induced illness.

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CASE STUDY: ALBERTA RHODIOLA ROSE GROWERS ORGANIZATION (ARRGO)

Through the Functional Foods and Bioactives Network we knew we could help their organization expand and create additional value. AFC staff member Branko Jankovic says, “ARRGO had a product, a niche market and very loyal growers in their organization that could be built upon.”

However, as a young organization there are challenges. Especially since all those that work with ARRGO are farmers or have other full-time jobs. Finding time to discover new market opportunities, new business opportunities, and updating their marketing materials were not in ARRGO’s immediate future.

AFC worked with ARRGO to submit a Growing Forward 2 grant so their commodity, Rhodiola rosea, could be transformed into a value added product, a tea with 3 flavours, at the Food Processing Development Centre in Leduc, Alberta. Potential buyers now would have a value added product to sample the ingredient and see its versatility. In addition, AFC joined forces with ARRGO helping them market the tea by developing tradeshow booth materials, tea sample packages and pamphlets. Marketing materials are essential to getting your ingredient/product off to a good

start. AFC is happy to share our manpower with organizations to achieve success. By working with AFC, ARRGO’s timeline to getting their ingredient into the market as a tea was significantly shortened.

ARRGO and AFC went to SupplySide West 2016 armed with additional representatives, new booth, marketing materials, packaging and three different teas. The event was incredibly successful as attendees were coming back for more tea samples daily. ARRGO met potential buyers and generated numerous leads. In addition to the success at SupplySide, AFC has been gathering information on global markets and expanding our contacts and networks in international trade and we will be putting that information into a business plan for ARRGO which they can use to guide them in the future.

It’s been a very successful year between ARRGO and AFC. Assisting organizations, especially in the functional food and bioactive realm has been incredibly rewarding and encouraging. We’ve gained lots of experience and are ready to assist the next organization that comes our way.

“AFC SHORTENED THE TIMELINE TO HELP ARRGO REACH THE POSITION THEY ARE IN NOW” BRANKO JANKOVIC, FFBNETWORK, PROJECT MANAGER

“AFC HAS PROVIDED GUIDANCE AND INVALUABLE INSIGHT TO MAKE OUR TEA DEVELOPMENT PROJECT FLOW SMOOTHLY.

THEY HAVE GIVEN US THE EXPERTISE AND SUPPORT REQUIRED TO MAKE ARRGO STANDOUT AND BE NOTICED. WE COULD NOT HAVE DONE THIS PROJECT WITHOUT THEM.” NELDA RADORD, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ARRGO

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Working with AFC brings a suite of benefits. We want to see you, your organization, technology, ingredient or product succeed. Armed with information from our international market research, vast networks and information on how markets work, we are fully prepared and committed to reaching your organizations goals. We worked with the Alberta Rhodiola Rosea Growers Organization (ARRGO) in 2016 and we’ve highlighted our major successes with ARRGO below.

In October 2015, AFC attended SupplySide West and began communication with ARRGO. They had a booth at the ingredient show highlighting Rhodiola rosea, commonly known as Roseroot or Goldenroot, is a perennial plant native to

Northern Europe and Asia, valued for its properties as an herbal adaptogen. Rhodiola rosea has been used by olympic athletes, cosmonauts, herbalists and physicians as a natural means for boosting physical and mental performance while aiding the body's resistance to stress-induced illness.

Through the Functional Foods and Bioactives Network we knew we could help their organization expand and create additional value. AFC staff member Branko Jankovic says, “ARRGO had a product, a niche market and very loyal growers in their organization that could be built upon.”

However, as a young organization there are challenges. Especially since all those that work with ARRGO are farmers or have other full-time jobs. Finding time to discover new market opportunities, new business opportunities, and updating their marketing materials were not in ARRGO’s immediate future.

AFC worked with ARRGO to submit a Growing Forward 2 grant so their commodity, Rhodiola rosea, could be transformed into a value added product, a tea with 3 flavours, at the Food Processing Development Centre in Leduc, Alberta. Potential buyers now would have a value added product to sample the ingredient and see its versatility. In addition, AFC joined forces with ARRGO helping them market the tea by developing tradeshow booth materials, tea sample packages and pamphlets. Marketing materials are essential to getting your ingredient/product off to a good

start. AFC is happy to share our manpower with organizations to achieve success. By working with AFC, ARRGO’s timeline to getting their ingredient into the market as a tea was significantly shortened.

ARRGO and AFC went to SupplySide West 2016 armed with additional representatives, new booth, marketing materials, packaging and three different teas. The event was incredibly successful as attendees were coming back for more tea samples daily. ARRGO met potential buyers and generated numerous leads. In addition to the success at SupplySide, AFC has been gathering information on global markets and expanding our contacts and networks in international trade and we will be putting that information into a business plan for ARRGO which they can use to guide them in the future.

It’s been a very successful year between ARRGO and AFC. Assisting organizations, especially in the functional food and bioactive realm has been incredibly rewarding and encouraging. We’ve gained lots of experience and are ready to assist the next organization that comes our way.

“I THINK IS GREAT AND SOMETHING THE INDUSTRY NEEDS BADLY” ANDREW COWAN, CHEF, NORTHERN CHICKEN

RESPONDINGTO EMERGING TRENDS

The Niche Meat Processor Network is a prime example of AFC bringing all facets of industry together to work towards a common goal. In this case the NMPN aims to increase food safety awareness and knowledge during the production of cured and fermented meat. Why is this important? As you may have seen, charcuterie platters are increasing in popularity at restaurants and the demand is increasing for local varieties of cured and fermented meats in butcher shops. Our current safety regulations don’t apply to the traditional method, so it is imperative processors are aware of current regulations, but they must be applicable to small scale businesses and processors.

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A�er meeting with our advisory committee consisting of industry, chefs, Alberta Health Services, Alberta Agriculture Forestry, culinary schools and a food safety systems specialist we identified needs, gaps, and the next steps in the project.

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT: THE NICHE MEAT PROCESSORS NETWORK (NMPN)

For more information contact:Cassandra RaskoCassandra.Rasko@agfoodcouncil.com780.469.3714 ext. 226

www.agfoodcouncil.com/nmpn “AS A LOCAL MEAT PRODUCER WE ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS NETWORK AS WE ARE ASKED FOR THESE PRODUCTS REGULARLY” BRENDA BARRITT, EARTH WORKS FARM

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We are working towards partnering with industry to develop a food safety course, specific to cured and fermented meats. We will highlight CFIA regulations and how to meet them, along with building a support network or smaller processors.

The goal is to deliver the course in 4 locations across Alberta in January 2017. AFC will use their vast experience in marketing, promoting, and engaging with the community to promote the course. While the project is still in the beginning stages, a website devoted to NMPN has been developed with resources, information, contacts, and suppliers. It’s like a one stop shop for beginners to cured and fermented meat processing while also having valuable information for the more seasoned processor.

AFC is privileged to be part of such a well-received project and looks forward to forging new partnerships and expanding the NMPN into a continued valuable resource.

AFC EVENTS & INTERNATIONAL MARKET RESEARCH -ENCOURAGING COLLABORATION

This year we organized multiple industry events, an international conference (Foodovation 2016), attended several international tradeshows and participated in Alberta Agriculture & Forestry’s mission to China. Through this work we aim to provide a suite of goods/services that assist to make better-informed decisions related to international business. This trade and market intelligence expertise will serve as the analytical backbone of its solutions to improve the international competiveness of Alberta based small-to-medium size enterprises (SMEs). As we build our market intelligence, we will also provide tools to map and address barriers to trade thus facilitating evidence-based policy improvements.

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AFC Market Intelligence Goals:• Gain knowledge on trends, products and resources in the industry on a local, regional, national and global scale. AFC keeps our members up to date on these trends through our biweekly newsletter, exclusive to members.

• Stimulate new ideas for businesses and stimulate creative thinking to support businesses. O�en times we go to a tradeshow with concerns and challenges from our members and clients. We will look for new technologies and creative ideas to share.

• Meet other organizations, entrepreneurs, tech companies, not-for-profits where we can knowledge share. Finding advice or getting mentored can be over looked, but it is so vital to being successful.

• Network! Network! Network! Building a solid network allows us to serve our members and clients more effectively as we can better fit their needs with increased knowledge.

• Showcasing a product or ingredient to get instant feedback, market intelligence and meet potential customers. You can join us or we’ll take a sample of your product and provide the feedback to you.

• Help promote Alberta companies! Alberta is truly a hub of talented entrepreneurs, producers, researchers and individuals and AFC is proud to represent and push for the success of Alberta made endeavours.

• AFC participates in the value chain. There are different tradeshows for ingredients, food, technologies and so on. By going to these different tradeshows we understand the different approaches to different areas of the value chain.

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STRENGTHENING ALBERTA’S AGRI-FOOD & VALUE-ADDED SECTOR IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY

CONTACTS

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Bryanna Kumpula – Executive DirectorBryanna.Kumpula@agfoodcouncil.com/ 780.469.3714 ext. 237

Branko Jankovic – FFBNetwork Project ManagerBranko.Jankovic@agfoodcouncil.com/ 780.469.3714 ext. 226

Heather Broughton – Success for Women in Agri-food Community AnimatorHeather.Broughton@agfoodcouncil.com./ 780.608.7374

Cassandra Rasko – NMPN, Project CoordinatorCassandra.Rasko@agfoodcouncil.com/ 780.469.3714 ext. 229

info@agfoodcouncil.com780.469.37142532 Ellwood Drive SwEdmonton, ABT6X 0A9

AgricultureAndFoodCouncilAB @AgFoodCouncilAB agriculture-and-food-council-of-alberta-afc

www.agfoodcouncil.com

BECOME AN AFC MEMBER

Become an AFC MemberJoin the ever growing group of member who want to move Alberta’s agri-food industry forward. There are many benefits to membership including direct access to a staff liaison, accessing a health benefits group plan from Ross Benefits, becoming part of a project committee or board of directors, and exclusive networking opportunities, and more!

Our membership structure is universal and accommodates individual, provincial and international organizations and companies.

Learn more: www.agfoodcouncil.com/join-us

Thank you to all of our 2016 Members!

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Organizational Members

Ag for Life Agri-Food Discovery PlaceAgriculture Research Extension Council ABAgroforestry & Woodlot Extension SocietyAlberta BeekeepersAlberta Chicken ProducersAlberta Federation of AgricultureAlberta Greenhouse Growers AssociationAlberta Innovates Tech Future BioAlberta Rural Development Network

Individual Members Toso BozicCarla RhyantErika ConyetteAnita DyrbyeJacquie Fenske

Stephen JakewayShirley JollyVince JonesDietrich KuhlmannWendy Lam

Ken MoholitnySharon MuellerDebbie WalkerJian Zhang

Alberta Seed Growers AssociationAlberta Sugar Beet GrowersCanadian Association of Farm AdvisorsCeapro IncCIBC AgricultureCommunity LearningEgg Farmers of AlbertaFeedlot Health Management ServicesKeith & AssociatesLakeland CollegeMAAKL Corporation LtdMedia Message Inc

MNP LLP NMNorthlandsOlds CollegePortage CollegePotato Growers of AlbertaPrairie Catering CompanyProgressive FoodsSerecon Management ConsultingSymbiotic Enviro Tek IncSyngenta Canada IncUFAUniversity of LethbridgeWest Central Forage Association

2015 – 2016 Annual ReportFinancial Statements

The Agriculture & Food Council of Alberta believes in financial transpar-ency and accountability. Each year we undergo a full audit and all materials and reports are available to the public. Please visit our website to view this document and accompanying financials for 2015-2016.

www.agfoodcouncil.com/annualreport

2015 – 2016 Funding Recognition

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