To help our smallest agricultural businesses further expand into grocery and food services, the Government of Canada is supporting the creation of a certification program that will allow businesses to meet specific trade requirements.
The $336,858 investment, announced by the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, will support GS1 Canada, a not-for-profit association, to develop training tailored to small and micro food enterprises. The project includes learning modules and a virtual portal of resources specifically for them.
GS1 Canada plans to equip at least 200 businesses across Canada with the knowledge, tools and experience they need to prepare for trade with different sectors, including the grocery sector, distribution and food services.
Completion of the certification program will provide micro and small enterprises (MSE) with access to other services provided by GS1 Canada for one year. A key component of this subscription for MSEs is ensuring their products have licensed GS1 barcodes, which are required by many Canadian retailers and distributors, as well as access to online tools to share quality, bilingual product data with trading partners. GS1 barcodes are a global standard and play an important role in supply chains and traceability.
Small businesses are the heart of our local communities and engines of Canada's economy. Supporting the development of trade knowledge and breaking down barriers will help them grow and contribute even more to the economic development of their region and our country.
