1. Canadian Supply Chain Food Safety Coalition
Annual Report for 2008
Presented by Jackie Crichton, Chair
at the Annual Meeting
26 February 2009
Via Conference Call & Webcast
On behalf of the Canadian Supply Chain Food Safety Coalition I would like to welcome you to our 7th annual meeting and the completion of our 8th year of activities.
As we close the books on 2008, we can be proud of the progress we have made since the Coalition was formed in December 2000 as the national organization dedicated to bringing together national, provincial and local industry associations with an interest in food safety. To our knowledge, the Coalition remains unique - no other country has a similar organization representing all segments of the food chain from input suppliers to final marketing at retail or in food service.
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2. Canadian Supply Chain Food Safety Coalition
Our Vision: Canada’s agriculture, fisheries and food industry will have a world-class reputation for producing and selling safe food.
At the start of this presentation it is perhaps useful to remind ourselves of why we are here.
The Coalition’s vision is
Canada’s agriculture, fisheries and food industry will have a world-class reputation for producing and selling safe food.
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3. Canadian Supply Chain Food Safety Coalition
Our Mission: To facilitate, through dialogue within the food industry and with all levels of government, the development and implementation of a national, coordinated approach to food safety to ensure credibility in domestic and international marketplaces.
Our mission is:
To facilitate, through dialogue within the food industry and with all levels of government, the development and implementation of a national, coordinated approach to food safety to ensure credibility in domestic and international marketplaces.
In the seven (7) years since our establishment, I believe that the value of both this vision and our mission have been fully validated. Much has been achieved, yet important work remains to be done.

4. 2008 Priorities Member Relations Pandemic Preparedness Planning
Government Relations
Issue Management
Government Recognition of Post-Farm Programs
National Strategy Project
Each year, you, the membership set the priorities for the Coalition. For 2008, this was done during the annual meeting and by the board of directors. The priorities for the year just finished were –
Member relations
Pandemic Preparedness Planning
Government Relations
Issue Management
Government recognition of Post-Farm Programs
National strategy project

5. Priority #1 – Member Relations
Continued Member support
Financial stability
Information bulletins
Priority # 1 – Member Relations
Following incorporation of the Coalition in the fall of 2007, a decision was taken to transfer its administration from the Animal Nutrition Association of Canada to the Coalition itself. This was accomplished in early 2008.
The board of directors was again very frugal with the limited funds available and drew upon the services of the secretariat in a restrained manner so as to ensure that the year ended in the black. It should also be noted that during 2008, much of our work was related to the project funded by AAFC through the Canadian Food Safety and Quality Program.
Coming into 2008, we were fortunate to have the surplus and we have ended the year as the Treasurer will report, with a small surplus as well.

6. Priority #2 – Pandemic Planning
Set as a priority in 2006 – it has continued thru 2007 & 2008
Limited activity due to the changing approach within the Federal governments
Participated in Private Sector Working Group in April
Agri-food subcommittee met in May
Presentation by AAFC to follow
Pandemic preparedness planning was set as a Coalition priority in 2006 and has continued to be one through 2007 (a very active year) and 2008.
The Coalition continued to co-chair the agri-food industry subcommittee (May) and to attend at the Private Sector Working Group meeting (April).
Shortly thereafter the federal government initiated a restructuring of its emergency preparedness activities, integrated pandemic preparedness planning within these and developed a strategy based on “critical infrastructure”. The agri-food sector is identified as a critical industry.
This put work on the agri-food industry/government pandemic plan on “pause” for the latter part of 2008.
Rod Myer from AAFC will provide us with an update on the federal initiatives in this area after my report.

7. Priority #3 – Government Relations
A top priority
Expanded contacts with officials, including the FPT committee chairs
Participation in government consultations
Participation in FPT subcommittees
Government relations continued as a priority for in 2008.
Mind you, it is hard to practice when “the government” shuts down for an election and then for a prorogation!
The Coalition maintained links with the FPT food safety committees and established a new relationship with the single committee that is now responsible. Joint conference calls were not held during the year, but it was agreed that they would resume in One will be scheduled following our annual meeting.
The Coalition also continued to liaise with federal officials in Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, CFIA and Health Canada. We participated in consultations – more about this in the section on issues management.

8. Priority #4 – Issues Management (1)
“Growing Forward”
Revised discussion paper in January
Consultation with AAFC in May
US Government & Congressional Initiatives
Information Bulletins – 3 in March, August & December
Submission to US FDA consultations on 3rd party audit & certification – May
Early in 2008, the Coalition revised its positions on the FPT “Growing Forward” initiative. This followed up our submissions in 2006 and our letters to ministers in On May 9th, Heather Gale, our secretary and I met with officials at AAFC for a consultation on the initiative. While the APF programming was extended into fiscal 2008/9, it is unfortunate that the advice from the Coalition and many other organizations was not heeded and the new programming is still not available.
The Secretariat also provided 3 information bulletins to members about the “blizzard” of food safety initiatives in Washington.
On a related matter, the Coalition prepared, after consultation with members, a submission to the US Food and Drug Administration with respect to its call for comments on 3rd party audit and certification of US and external food safety management systems.

9. Priority #4 – Issues Management (2)
Food & Consumer Action Plan
Information Bulletin – January
Consultations - January
Bill C-51 – Amendment to Food & Drug Act
Analysis of Bill C-51 (food safety)
Unauthorized consolidation of C-51 & Act (food safety)
Briefing session for members with CFIA – June
The federal government issued ended 2007 with plans to develop new initiatives with respect to food safety and consumer products. When the Action Plan was introduced in early 2008, the Coalition issued an information bulletin and participated in the “consultations”.
When the government tabled Bill C-51, amendment to the Food and Drug Act, the secretariat prepared an analysis and undertook to produce a consolidation of the existing Act and the proposed amendment respecting food safety to provide members with a clear sense of the changes. These were circulated.
Then in June, the Coalition invited CFIA and Health Canada to a consultation with the members.
As summer began, work was initiated on the scope of a Coalition submission. However, with the dissolution of Parliament in August, this work was terminated. We are, of course, awaiting the tabling of a new bill in Parliament.

10. Priority #5 – Government Recognition of Post-Farm Industry Programs
FPT discussions
Continued representation in discussions of FPT subcommittee
Liaison with interested industry groups
Status
FPT discussions completed
Program awaits government “approval”
The Coalition’s activities related to the development of a national program for the recognition of industry-led food safety programs for the post-farm segments of the supply chain continued throughout On behalf of the industry groups, I participated on the conference calls scheduled by the FPT subcommittee. In May, the subcommittee completed a “final” draft and submitted it to its parent committee (CFIS-IG) prior to the formal creation of the new FPT food safety committee. During this time the secretariat also liaised with the interested industry groups who are not members of the Coalition (e.g. Packaging Association of Canada).
The status of this initiative is uncertain at this time. It was discussed by the new committee in November. But it is still being reviewed by the federal and provincial governments. Like its counterpart for recognizing on-farm programs, ministers have yet to endorse the documents.

11. Priority #6 – National Strategy Project
1st Workshop – 45 participants – February
Circulation of drafts #1, #2, & #3
2nd Workshop – 42 participants – December
Final draft circulated – January 2009
Validation survey – February 2009
The largest project undertaken by the Coalition in 2008 was the development of a national strategy for industry-led food safety programs. This commenced with a very successful workshop in February. With 45 persons in attendance from members, non-members and governments a gap analysis was undertake and a set of actions identified by industry groups, other stakeholders and governments. A report was prepared and circulated shortly after the meeting. Then in May a 1st draft of the strategy was circulated. With comments in hand a 2nd draft was prepared and circulated in August. A 3rd draft was then circulated prior to the 2nd workshop in early December. It is notable that it snowed heavily on days of both workshops. The 2nd session was equally productive. The participants provided excellent comments and suggestions. These were added to the final draft which was circulated in early January. Then earlier this month a survey was circulated to all the identified organizations (members and non-members) but not the governments. It asked the respondents to vote on the proposed actions (yes or no) and to set priorities. The survey concluded on February 24th.
Funding for this project was provided by the members and by AAFC through the Canadian Food Safety and Quality Program.

12. Board of Directors 2008 Jackie Crichton (CCGD) – Co-Chair
Derek Nighbor (RCC) – Co-Chair
Heather Gale (CHC) – Treasurer
Paul Valder (QMI-SAI Global) – Allied Member director
Albert Chambers – Secretary (non-voting member)
In closing this report, I would also like to thank the members of the board for their work and contributions over the past year. As you know our resources are limited so being a director is not just an honour it involves work. To all them we owe our appreciation.
I would also like to thank our Secretariat – Albert Chambers. Within the limited resources available to us, he has provided a high level of service to both the executive and to you the members.
[Jackie to add other concluding comments …]