History

Our major achievements – 1947

Creation of an organisation to protect the interests of Quebec distributors under the name of the Association des grossistes en fruits et légumes.

First President : J. L. Émile Blais.

Our major achievements – 1950
Creation of 5 committees for the best interest of the members:
  • Promotion of consumption
  • Regulation of hawkers
  • Pre-packaging
  • Organisation of fruit and vegetable sales schools
  • Interventions on customs tariffs
Our major achievements – 1960
  • Investment of $12,000 in Salad Month and return of $750,000 in free advertising.
  • Incorporation of the concept of associate membership into the Association’s charter.
  • Léo Dery is appointed secretary of the association.
Our major achievements – 1970
  • Increased business representation.
  • Representation in advisory committees.
  • Organisation of joint plans.
  • New sources of income: Congress, Book of the Year and Salad Month.
  • Revision of the constitution
Our major achievements – 1980
  • The Association des jardiniers maraîchers du Québec (AJMQ) takes over Salad Month. Important issues of the time :
  • The joint plans
  • The formation of a sectoral association at the CSST
  • Pesticides, the environment and organic farming
  • Appointment of a permanent secretary-treasurer, Mr. Maurice Giroux, and a secretary, Ms. Jocelyne Piché.
  • Start of the “3+ Club” for recruitment and the “Industry Pillar” for peer recognition

Our major achievements – 1990

Vegetable Association (QPMA).
Significant contribution to the Canadian Produce Marketing Association’s (CPMA) “Go for it” promotional program – Creation of three standing committees (1995):

  • Government and Industry Relations
  • Member Services
  • Promotion and Consumer Affairs
  • Creation of an Executive Director position
Our major achievements – 2000
  • Increasing the visibility of the fruit and vegetable sector to consumers through advertising, media presence and participation in public and industry trade fairs.
  • Promotion of CPMA’s “5 to 10 a day! For Your Health” program
  • Participation in various industry tables under the direction of MAPAQ
  • Development of partnerships with governments, professional associations and other stakeholders
  • Development and updating of the website
  • Renewal of the Association’s visual identity (logo)
  • Launch of a new campaign to promote fruits and vegetables in Quebec: “I like 5 to 10 servings a day” in association with a nutritionist spokesperson, Julie DesGroseilliers.
  • Start of the Wednesday training sessions; enriching workshops are organized for members
  • Implementation of a strategic plan
  • Launch of a new networking activity; the spring cocktail party, the profits of which are donated to the promotion fund
  • Establishment of a solid team at the office

Our major achievements – 2010
  • Participation in the joint efforts of the industry’s partner associations on the challenges of safety, traceability, harmonisation of standards and various certifications.
  • Launch in 2012 of the “Cultivating the next generation” programme to ensure the sustainability of the industry, in particular through the promotion of community involvement. This program allows a person aged 35 and under to spend a year as an intern with the QPMA.
  • In 2013, a collaboration agreement was signed to combine the efforts of MAPAQ with those of the QPMA to implement joint initiatives to promote and market Quebec foods in the public and private institutional sectors. This resulted in five concrete projects managed by the QPMA and funded by the MAPAQ.
  • Participation in consultations with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), in its desire to modernize its legislation and adapt it to the commercial realities of the fruit and vegetable industry.
  • Worked with the Canadian Horticultural Council, the Produce Marketing Dispute Resolution Corporation, and other stakeholders to introduce federal legislation to create a limited deemed trust to protect produce vendors. Continued efforts to encourage the US to restore Canada’s preferential access to the PACA (withdrawn in 2014).
  • Revised the QPMA’s organizational chart to include sectoral committees to further solicit input from members in different sectors on issues of interest.
  • Affirmation of the leadership role of the “I love 5 to 10 servings a day” campaign. Several sector organisations join the campaign and participate in the content and funding. The campaign becomes more interactive, notably with the launch of the ‘Like’ competition to highlight members’ initiatives, the launch of a consumer website and social media (Facebook, Twitter).
  • Development of closer business relations with food service professionals and the hotel, restaurant and institutional (HRI) community through various initiatives, including the creation of the fraicheurquebec.com website, and a partnership with the ITHQ for conferences on fruits and vegetables, a contest and scholarships for future chefs.
  • Modification of the general management position to accentuate the importance of public affairs, government relations and lobbying to become a general management position.
  • Development of a force for influence and action with government authorities, for the advancement of priority issues, by being recognised as a privileged and credible interlocutor who conveys the concerns of its members and proposes solutions. Organisation of a first influencing activity at the Quebec Parliament in 2016.
  • Launch in 2017 of the Réseau Relève, the grouping of members aged between 18 and 35. This network allows the QPMA to take this particular category of members into account by organizing various activities dedicated to them

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