25th ANNUAL FIELDS ON WHEELS CONFERENCE
Celebrating Achievement and Building Resilience in Agricultural Food Systems
Friday, December 11, 2020
Webinar

The COVID-19 pandemic has dominated the headlines and forced Canadians to reconsider the resiliency of the entire food system, which continues to show itself to be robust. Such achievements will be celebrated and critically analyzed during the University of Manitoba’s 25th anniversary of the Fields on Wheels Conference—one Canada’s largest gatherings of agricultural and supply chain experts. Traditionally held in person, this engaging conference must be held virtually this year for public health reasons so organizers are making it free and open to all online.

The Fields on Wheels conference brings together representatives from all segments of the agricultural industry from farmers to grain buyers and crop processors, to trucking, railways and ports, to discuss the latest advances affecting the future of the industry. Stakeholders in these critical industries, whether as a producer or a logistics service provider, exporter, industry manager, policymaker, regulator, academic, student or food consumer, are encouraged toregister for this substantive event.

News coverage of the pandemic has distracted attention away from many positive supply chain developments, such as Roquette Canada opening the largest pea protein processing plant in the world. Roquette Canada will open the conference with a discussion on what this achievement means for Western Canada’s market diversification and for the future of other processing plants that could develop new markets for oil, protein and starch.

Resiliency in food processing depends upon a steady supply of raw materials. The impact of climate change remains uncertain, but better water management could reduce the threat of droughts. Attendees will hear plans for Prairie-wide collection, distribution and use of irrigation water. This session will address the impact that irrigation has had on Southern Alberta’s food processing sector.

Attendees will also hear how food logistics is adapting to meet the changing demands for home delivery and cross-border transport. One tradition that will continue at the Fields on Wheels is a discussion of grain supply chain logistics. There are achievements to celebrate in containerization and bulk handling developments.

Register and learn more online at:

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/25th-fields-on-wheels-conference-registration-124286866363

For more information, contact:
Crystal Jorgenson, Communications Specialist
University of Manitoba
crystal.jorgenson@umanitoba.ca