The agriculture and agri-food sector has always faced risk from weather, markets, and value-chain disruptions, but those risks appear to be coming faster and more furiously. While optimism is a vital component of the sector’s success, there is a need for a heavy dose of realism in an increasingly complex and changing world.
A clear strategy is critical to ensure the sector reaches its full potential by managing those risks, tackling the challenges and seizing the opportunities ahead.
CAPI’s third annual Exchange conference, Canadian Agri-Food in a Risky World will engage agri-food leaders to consider the risks facing the sector and discuss their impact on Canada’s future agri-food policies. The conference includes a mix of networking opportunities, informative panels, and interactive workshops to foster dialogue on the need to think differently about agriculture policy and risk and consider whether a new approach is needed.
Stay tuned for more information on speakers and registration.
We hope to see you October 1 & 2 2025!
Event Information
Location
National Arts Centre
1 Elgin St, Ottawa, ON K1P 5W1
Date and Time
Wed, Oct 1, 2025 8:00AM – Thurs, Oct 2, 2025 2:30PM ET
Accommodation
Information coming soon
Sponsorship
Explore opportunities to partner with CAPI on this annual event and contribute to strategies to manage and mitigate risk and see the agriculture and agri-food sector reach its full potential.
Conference Agenda
Day 1 Sessions
7:30 – 8:15 am
Registration & Networking
8:15 – 8:30 am
Welcome and Opening Remarks
8:30- 9:15 am
Fireside Chat: Setting the Stage – Facing Risk, Finding Resilience
This opening fireside chat will set the stage for the conference by exploring how the risks facing the sector are changing and how well the sector is positioned to respond to what needs to change, so that the sector cannot just survive, but thrive in a world that is both seeking more from Canadian agriculture and food and making the context it operates in more risky, too. The results of the second annual CAPI Risk Report will be highlighted and examined.
Moderator: Meagan Murdoch, Vice-President and National Lead, Issues & Crisis, Hill & Knowlton
Lawrence Hanson, Deputy Minister, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
9:15 – 9:45 am
Networking Break
9:45-10:45 am
Session 1.2: Global Perspectives
This panel will explore how agricultural risks are playing out on the world stage and what Canada can learn from international approaches to resilience. Experts will share insights on global trends, policy responses, and innovative strategies to help the sector navigate an increasingly volatile future.
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Session 1.3 Right-Sizing Risk for Innovation
As technologies advance, our ability to measure risk with greater precision has improved—but our policy responses haven’t kept pace. This panel explores how disproportionate regulation, especially for SMEs, can stifle innovation and delay solutions. When does risk management go too far and block the public benefits of innovation? What would a more adaptive, evidence-informed approach look like—one that supports both safety and creativity in Canada’s complex agri-food systems?
11:45-12:45 pm
Lunch, Networking
12:45 – 1:30 pm
Session #1.4: Keynote Speaker – Dr. Tracey Brown, Sense About Science
1:30 – 2:00 pm
Session #1.5 Workshop: How to Communicate Risk and Uncertainty Effectively
This workshop will cover the key points to consider when communicating risks to policy-makers and some best practices in doing so. The material will draw upon work by risk and statistics experts as well as the input of many communities around the world that have shared with the Risk know-how initiative what works and what doesn’t when understanding risks. Through a mix of both theoretical and interactive exercises, participants will cover topics such as why and how to communicate uncertainty, how to present results effectively in a way that supports decision-making, and how to embrace the complexity that often is present when weighing up risks. We will also introduce a risk communication handbook that has been developed to support the development of effective risk communication strategies.
Workshop Facilitator: Leonor Sierra, Associate, Sense About Science; Project Lead, Risk Know-How Project
3:00 – 3:30 pm
Networking Break
3:30 – 4:30 pm
Session #1.6: Closing Panel: Acting on Risk
The final session will reflect on the day’s dialogue and consider what we heard, what do we need to hear more about, and what needs to change to ensure the sector is ready to manage risk and seize the opportunities ahead.
Candace Laing, President & Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Chamber of Commerce
4:45 – 6:00 pm
Reception
Day 2 Sessions
8:00 – 8:30 am
Coffee & Networking
8:30 – 8:45 am
Welcome Back and Opening Remarks
8:45 – 9:45 am
Session #2.1: Workshop on Farm Level Risk
9:45-10:15 am
Networking Break
10:15 – 11:15 am
Session #2.2: Thresholds of Risk Tolerance
This panel explores how we can use ‘thresholds’ to identify when Canada’s food commodities are at risk. What are the warning signs when fruit and vegetable imports grow too high, or when grain exports depend too heavily on one market? Panelists will discuss practical ways to monitor risks in a complex and changing world—where multiple factors like trade, debt, labour, and climate interact. By paying attention to thresholds, we can think ahead, make smarter decisions, and reduce the risk of major disruptions across key agri-food sectors.
11:15 – 11:45 am
Session #2.3: Fireside Chat
Edward Greenspon, Executive Advisor, Relationships Office. Co-Chair, Future of Canada Centre, Deloitte.
11:45 am – 1:00 pm
Lunch
1:00 – 2:00 pm
Session #2.4 Ag Policy Exchange
CAPI webinars, Ag Policy Exchange, have evolved in format this past year to encourage livelier debate and dialogue on the pressing issues facing Canadian agriculture both at home and abroad. Join us for a live, in-person Ag Policy Exchange where panelists will answer the question “Is Canadian agriculture and agri-food ready for a riskier world?” and maybe your answer will change by the end of the session
Craig Klemmer, Principal Economist, Farm Credit Canada