1. The Voice of The CCO in the Ontario agri-food system Presented by Charles Kouassi Development officer Central and Southwestern region

2. Challenges of agri-food movment in Ontario 1.Intrinsic profitability of the farming system (increase in production costs, global market, processing requirements) 2.Access to local market (oligopoly: MLS) 3.Access to farmlands for the potential new agri- entrepreneurs (price and/or availability) 4. Workforce (rural exodus and ageing of the current producers)

3. Drawbacks of these challenges Unsuspected threat for our food security impact on the local or regional economy stress rural exodus and local jobless endanger agricultural lands impact on the social and cultural habits

4. Alternatives / solutions 1.Local food processing system 2. Local food marketing (Eat Fresh, Eat Local) 3. Non conventional agri-product niches 4. Bio-inspiration /Biomimicry (Ethanol) 5. Agri-culinary tourism (A,B,C, Savour X,Y, Z) 6. Farm succession planning

5. Alternatives / solutions 1.Local food processing system 2. Local food marketing (Eat Fresh, Eat Local) 3. Non conventional agri-product niches 4. Bio-inspiration /Biomimicry (Ethanol) 5. Agri-culinary tourism (X savour) 6. Farm succession planning Co-op mouvement

6. Implementation case - According to the Canadian federation of independent business (CFIB), 200 000 Canadian enterprises will be affected by ownership transfer within the next 10 years; - Among them, more than 50% owners are not yet prepared to deal neither with the transfer process nor with the choice of the owner-to-be; The co-op model consists of transforming an enterprise, without any succession plan, into a co-op enterprise within a legal, economic and fiscal environment that secures interests of both of the stakeholders (current owner and the co-op members)

7. A common challenge appears Together, in a logic of co-operation, we will overcome