Food Processing
Canada is World-Renowned for its Top Quality Grain and Wheat Products
“We are committed to expanding our presence in Canada. Canada remains a very important region to Bunge’s growth strategy because of the increasing global demand for canola oil and meal and the growth potential of canola seed production in Canada.”
Soren Schroder, President and CEO of Bunge North America
The lowest food-processing costs in the G-7— Canada offers global investors the right ingredients for success. KPMG’s Competitive Alternatives 2010 ranks Canada #1 among its G-7 peers for its low costs in food processing. Among 95 cities worldwide, the Canadian city of Sherbrooke is ranked #4 in agri-food business costs, with the cities of Québec, Moncton, and Montréal ranking within the top-15 lowest cost food processing destinations.
Source: KPMG. Competitive Alternatives 2010.
Global players with an appetite for profitability locate in Canada— Global companies have chosen Canada because they want high-quality products and matching profitability. Canada has a highly competitive food processing sector with streamlined corporate taxes and regulations, internationally-respected inspection systems and an integrated transportation network that assures rapid distribution across the continent and around the globe. Major global investors in Canada include Archer Daniels Midland Co., Bunge, Grain Millers Inc., Jungbunzlauer, Kellogg Company, Louis Dreyfus Mitsui Foods, Meiji Seika Kaisha, and Natraceutical Group.
Canola: a Canadian success story— Canola, an abbreviation of “Canadian oil”, was developed by plant breeders in Canada during the 1960s and 1970s. In less than four decades, it has gained significant ground in the world oilseed market. Canola oil is one of the healthiest of all commonly used cooking oils and is consumed around the world. Valued at more than $1.5 billion, exports of Canadian canola oil alone reached 1.8 million tonnes in 2009 – 2010, an 18 percent increase over the previous crop year.
Source: Canola Council of Canada - Historic Exports and Canola Council of Canada - Historic Prices
Recent Foreign Investments – Agri-food

In July 2010, the Canadian subsidiary of St. Louis-based Monsanto Co. invested $14 million in expanding and upgrading its seed-manufacturing facility in Lethbridge, Alberta. This facility will have the capability to handle all of the company’s hybrid canola seed production in North America.
In April 2010, Mazzetta Co. of Illinois purchased a fish processing plant in Prince Edward Island for $2 million and announced the creation of 165 new jobs.
Investment News
Investment Promotion Agencies
Provincial IPAs:
- Alberta Economic Development
- Invest British Columbia
- Invest in Manitoba
- Business New Brunswick
- Investing in Newfoundland and Labrador
- Nova Scotia Business Inc.
- Invest in Ontario
- Innovation PEI
- Invest Quebec
- Enterprise Saskatchewan
Also see Municipal IPAs
Success Stories
- Puratos Conquers Taste Buds from Mississauga, Ontario (Download PDF, 0.3 MB)
- Help Viewing Alternate Formats
Leading Multinational Companies
Leading Canadian Companies
- Agropur Co-operative
- Maple Leaf Foods
- McCain Foods Limited
- Molson Canada
- Parmalat Dairy & Bakery Inc
- Saputo Inc.
