Canada has been known as the breadbasket of the world for over a century. Today, with our cereal grain exports feeding millions globally, our cereal sector is a huge driver of the Canadian economy.

In 2023, GlobalData undertook a study on behalf of Cereals Canada to assess the impact of domestically grown common wheat, durum wheat, barley, and oats on the Canadian economy. The study shows Canadian-grown cereals had an estimated total impact of $68.8 billion, including more than 370,000 Canadian jobs, and $27 billion in wages. This success story is the result of a strong Canadian grain system that relies on innovation and strategic investments throughout our grain value chain.

Despite weather challenges, market volatility, and market access issues, Canadian farmers and industry partners continue to adapt, and the Canadian grain industry has demonstrated remarkable resilience in an increasingly competitive global market. What sets us apart is our focus on quality.

Canada is a consistent supplier of cereal grains to over eighty countries, competing with powerhouses such as Russia, the United States, and Australia. But where Canadian wheat shines is in the “quality” segment of world wheat trade—an approach that has proved to be successful. Canadian wheat is renowned and sought-after for its quality and, as an improver wheat, Canadian wheat provides value by enhancing the functionality of lower cost wheats from other sources.

Championing Canadian Quality

In 2020, Cereals Canada merged with the Canadian International Grains Institute (Cigi) to combine Cigi’s long history of trusted technical expertise, market development, and customer programming, with Cereals Canada’s commitment to advocacy, market access, government engagement, and trade relationships.

Together under the banner of Cereals Canada, our organization represents the cereals grain sector and works with Canada’s domestic and global customers to create a point of differentiation that supports and drives market demand, ensuring that Canadian quality is translated into value. We continue to build valuable relationships with mills, processors, trade commissioners, and government officials worldwide, and provide globally recognized, world-class customer support from our facilities in downtown Winnipeg.

Cereals Canada programs serve as vital platforms for market intelligence, relationship-building, and industry advocacy, offering tangible benefits that are indispensable for the long-term competitiveness and sustainability of Canada’s cereal industry. Between 2021-2023, Cereals Canada engaged with 3,089 participants from 69 countries through 81 technical exchanges, trade and technical missions, and webinars.

By leveraging the technical facility and our international engagement effectively, the Canadian value chain can assert our presence in global markets, differentiate our products, and secure our position as preferred suppliers, ensuring the continued prosperity of the entire value chain.

Our Challenge

Our technical facilities, offices, and classrooms have been located at 303 Main Street (a federal government building) since 1972, and there has been discussion to move out of the building for at least the last decade. For many years, and for many reasons, the facilities in our current building have not met the needs of our evolving organization.

Firstly, we have outgrown our space in the building and can’t currently grow or expand our services. We can’t bring in new equipment based on current electrical and mechanical infrastructure. There are also the grain delivery logistics that come with operating a flour mill in a high-rise office tower.

More concerningly, in addition to the deficiencies and challenges of the current facility, Cereals Canada will be without its long-term stable tenure when our lease expires in 2027. Without the technical spaces, classrooms and resources, the vital work that is done by Cereals Canada to benefit farmers, researchers, industry, and customers is at risk.

This is where the vision of Gate was born.

Creating a new facility that meets the unique needs of our organization is a big undertaking and requires due diligence on our behalf. Cereals Canada has consulted with engineers and infrastructure experts to evaluate its operational requirements, and all came to the same conclusion that building a new facility is the best option for many reasons, including:

1. The specialized equipment required for training and testing, including milling, pasta and noodle making, baking, and analysis, necessitates specific space and mechanical requirements that a conventional building cannot accommodate.
2. The specific space and mechanical requirements make retrofitting an existing commercial space impossible.
3. Short-term rental agreements are inconsistent with Cereals Canada’s strategic direction, practically unfeasible, and are therefore unsustainable. 

The proposed Global Agriculture Technology Exchange (Gate) will house state-of-the-art laboratories, a flour mill, and end-product production and assessment areas that will allow Cereals Canada to maintain our globally recognized, best-in-class expertise needed to support today’s global markets and ensure end-user success without limiting the ability to explore new market trends and technologies of the future.

The purpose-built facility will provide a better user experience for customers and staff, while creating opportunities for Cereals Canada to enhance its core services. However, more than just a technical facility, Gate will be a hub for food and agriculture innovation, supporting today’s increasingly complex global markets while exploring future trends and technologies and driving transformative change through advanced research and collaboration.

Gate represents a bold step forward for Canadian agriculture. As Canada faces growing global competition and the necessity to demonstrate our commitment to sustainable farming practices, Gate is timely. Through advanced research, innovation, and collaboration, we envision the work done in the facility will drive change, helping our industry to grow and thrive and ensuring that Canada remains a leader in the global grain market for generations to come. For more information on Gate go to gate-canada.ca

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