While coping with the pandemic, the sector is looking ahead.Ottawa—Although food and beverage production is the largest manufacturing sector in Canada, there are virtually no federal resources focused on this major employer, say the cochairs of Food and Beverage Canada.While the situation is not new, the pandemic has confirmed the government's lack of attention is no longer sustainable, said Michael Burrows, CEO, Maple Lodge Farms, and Daniel Vielfaure, Deputy CEO of the Bonduelle Group. “The COVID-19 pandemic has magnified both the importance and fragility of Canada's food supply.“It has also highlighted the need to strengthen federal understanding of Canada's food system and to cultivate federal leadership over the issues impacting industry growth. COVID-19 has also reaffirmed for us the importance of ensuring that Canada's food and beverage manufacturing leaders work together to amplify the voice of our sector.”For too many years, the food and beverage manufacturing sector has been overlooked by federal policy makers. “Only by working together and coordinating our resources and our voice, will we continue to make a difference in Ottawa.”The 7,000 companies in the sector employ close to 300,000 workers and produce $118 billion in products every year, they said. The sector is crucial to food security, the national economy, and Canadian exports.When FBC was created in 2018, its goal was advocating for a policy environment that supports a strong food and beverage manufacturing sector and a safe and healthy food supply, they said.While COVID-19 has significantly impacted the association's focus in recent months, it still wants to ensure Canada “offers a competitive business environment that enables growth and sustainability for this critical sector through knowledge sharing, consultation, business-led solutions, and proactive advocacy.“Since the onset of COVID-19, Canada's food and beverage manufacturers have been focused on two critical goals: protecting frontline food workers and sustaining Canada's food supply,” they said. “Food and beverage manufacturers are facing their greatest challenge–as governments manage the health impacts of COVID-19, our sector has been asked to keep plants running so Canadians can eat.“Food and beverage facilities were designed and laid out for efficiency, innovation, and, above all, food safety. Virtually overnight, in early 2020, more than 7,000 food and beverage plants had to develop and introduce new health and safety measures–measures such as social distancing, use of Personal Protective Equipment and health screening tools, building of new temporary non-structural barriers, and changes to production lines–to keep their front-line workers safe.“Companies adopted these measures early, with little external guidance or support from federal and provincial governments,” they said. “Leadership during COVID-19 has come from industry itself. Companies have come together to share their best practices in managing and responding to COVID-19. Leading food and beverage manufacturers have developed COVID-19 guidelines and playbooks and have willingly shared these with other companies and industry partners.”FBC has coordinated a group of 14 provincial and national food and beverage processing associations to lobby the federal government for COVID-19 support programs to address the cost pressures on industry, leading to an initial $77.5M in federal funding.Finding sufficient workers for the sector also needs urgent action to fix immigration and Temporary Foreign Worker programs so they provide “timely access to foreign labour without unnecessary administrative burden.”The sector also needs financial support for the introduction of automation and innovation to improve productivity and address labour shortages as well as training and accreditation models that will increase the availability of relevant and required skilled tradespeople.Alex Binkley is a freelance journalist and writes for domestic and international publications about agriculture, food and transportation issues. He's also the author of two science fiction novels with more in the works.