Canadian Food Innovators (CFI) was established in 2013 to enable Canada’s food and beverage manufacturing industry to jointly access federal innovation programs.
As part of its commitment to furthering innovation in the national food value chain, CFI networks Canadian food and beverage processors with FoodTech Canada centres, Canada’s food universities and community colleges, and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s research centres.
CFI successfully delivered Canada’s first food and beverage processing cluster through Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Growing Forward 2 Agri-Science cluster program, and was the successful applicant for a second cluster under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership’s Agri-Science cluster initiative.
Canada’s provincial and regional food industry associations which represent over 1,500 Canadian food and beverage manufacturers from coast to coast, appoint industry representatives to CFI’s board of directors. The CFI board of directors includes representation from small and medium enterprises as well as large food processing businesses, academia and FoodTech Canada.
CFI was chosen by the Guelph Food Technology Centre (GFTC) Legacy Fund Board for an endowment from the proceeds of industry funds raised when GFTC was sold to NSF International. Those endowed funds are supporting food innovation in the CFI-led food processing clusters.