Ron Lemaire
Ron works in the fast-paced world of perishable products that manoeuvres through global regulatory swings, supply chain disruptions, variable climate, food safety outbreaks, disruptive technology advancements, and ever-changing consumer demands and expectations.
In his role as CPMA President, Ron represents the needs and interests of over 870 Canadian and international member companies that are responsible for over 90% of the fresh fruit and vegetable sales in Canada.
In 2019, Ron launched the CPMA Packaging Working Group to identify a path forward to address the use of plastics within the produce sector. The Group identifies best practices and efforts already undertaken by the industry to develop an industry-supported roadmap that maintains food quality and safety while reducing the environmental impact of plastics. Ron also sits on the board of the Canada Plastics Pact and is a founding partner of the National Agri-Food Sustainability Index Steering Committee which is developing a Canadian sustainability index.
Ron has been engaged in supply chain disruptions throughout the pandemic and participated in federal consultations with Transport Canada and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Through the CPMA North American Trade Working Group, he supported the development of policy direction for the federal government as it relates to the produce sector.
He is also the Chair of the Global Coalition for Fresh Produce which brings together 11 fresh produce associations from around the world to create resilient global value chains for fruits and vegetables and bring a myriad of economic, environmental, and societal benefits. Additionally, Ron is a member of the Grocery Code of Conduct Steering Committee which is developing a Canadian Grocery Code of Conduct to support fair and ethical dealings between trading partners in the food system.
With over 28 years of extensive experience working with not-for-profit organizations, Ron brings a focus on vertically integrated supply chains, sustainability, government relations, advocacy, marketing, public/private partnerships, capacity building, and food systems thinking.