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34 SUMMER 2024 FOOD AND BEVERAGE MANITOBA W hile it provides your table with delicious food for your family, the process and scale doesn't come without an en- vironmental cost. From the carbon and greenhouse gas emissions generated on farm and in the processing plants to the packaging that keeps the products safe, the environmental impact of our food system is complex and needs to be understood and mitigated as economies around the world look to decarbonize. As a sector, food and beverage represents a full third of Manitoba's GHG emissions and is also one of the most vulnerable to drought, flood and extreme weather. The good news: we can have our cake and eat it too — it just might need to be made of cricket powder and upcycled potato starch. Food & Beverage Manitoba, a non- profit association dedicated to the elevation of the food processing in- dustry, is at the forefront of addressing these challenges, helping its members pave the way toward greener practices and the ambitious goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. "Manitoba has an opportunity to emerge as a global leader in low- carbon food products," says Michael Mikulak, executive director of Food and Beverage Manitoba. "But it will take collaboration and innovation at all levels of business, government and civil society. But we already have a good base. Many farmers have already adopted practices like no or zero till and manufacturers are reducing food waste and looking for opportunities to upcycle." Mikulak says that a big part of what FABMb does is ensure that members receive the information, upskilling and training they need to meet complex and changing regulatory environments. Through a comprehensive array of resources, training, connections and tools specifically tailored to assist members in addressing various envi- ronmental challenges, food safety and economic development, FABMb works with companies of all sizes at different stages of development. "Many of our processors are still struggling after the pandemic, with ongoing supply chain disruptions, inflation and input costs going up, it can be difficult to look beyond the next six months, let alone the next decade. As an association, we want to help our members with the day to day but also to prepare them for the future." A big part of this preparation comes in the form organizing Cultivate, a conference dedicated to digging deep into the roots of topics such as plas- tics, upcycling, regenerative agriculture and how to calculate your greenhouse gas emissions. By bringing together thought leaders and pioneers in the industry such as Sobeys, Maple Leaf, Manitoba Starch Products and LOOP mission, Cultivate has become the event where industry, government, academics and non-profits connect and collabo- rate around sustainable food system transformation. At this year's Cultivate Sustainability Conference, Eli Brown, Sobeys' director of corporate sustainability, emphasized the importance of initiating sustainabil- ity efforts regardless of scale. Alongside Rachel Stolberg, who leads Product Stability, they are developing a practi- cal toolkit with FABMb. This toolkit aims to simplify sustainability adoption by offering various strategies to improve operational efficiency and environmen- tal stewardship. According to Brown, "It's intimidat- ing to get started. There's such a huge learning curve, so you must take it one change at a time. It's a journey. We would like to see local businesses be- gin setting targets. It's important that COLLABORATION AND INNOVATION: Leading the Charge Towards Greener Food Production in Manitoba When it comes to Manitoba's Green Advantage, we need not look further than the quintessential prairie vista: golden fields of wheat, flax, canola and fava beans. The food and beverage processing industry is the largest manufacturing sector in Manitoba, accounting for 7.3 billion in sales in 2022, employing 16,000 people and helping feed the world with products as diverse as pork, potato chips and honey dill sauce.

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