A study commissioned by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) is highlighting the essential role of plastic packaging in the fresh produce supply chain.
The study quantifies the functionality of plastic packaging from a needs and benefits perspective, offering insights into ongoing industry efforts to reduce packaging waste.
“CPMA is pleased to see the Government of Canada commission an industry-informed study which highlights the critical role and function that fresh produce packaging plays to ensure that high quality
fruits and vegetables are available to Canadians year-round,” says Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) president Ron Lemaire.
Minimizing plastic packaging waste remains a top priority for the fresh produce sector. However, industry stakeholders caution that reducing packaging must not compromise other critical sustainability outcomes, such as food safety, waste prevention, and maintaining reliable supply chains. Recent regulatory initiatives in Canada have faced criticism for not fully considering the vital functions that fresh produce packaging provides.
The government study, titled “Quantifying the Functionality Importance of Plastic Packaging in Fresh Produce from a Needs/Benefit Perspective,” presents a framework for evaluating the critical functions of fresh produce packaging. These include containment, convenience, communication and protection — ensuring preservation, microbial control, and preventing contamination during transportation and storage. The study’s findings align with concerns previously highlighted by the CPMA in its regulatory impact studies published in December 2023.
While the study did not assess the impact of packaging on fresh produce affordability or availability, it offers valuable insights into packaging choices across nearly 95 per cent of fresh produce sold by volume. The study’s conclusions are tempered by the fact that affordability and availability are significant factors in packaging decisions.
“Consumers are requesting safe, affordable, and high-quality fresh produce which is only available when respective supply chains — and the critical packaging forms they rely upon — are readily accessible,” Lemaire says.
