Bridging markets and producers
Sunrise Foods serves as a vital bridge connecting producers to markets and, ultimately, consumers. getty
At a time when sustainability and nutrition are top of mind, Canadian and U.S. organic producers stand tall as vanguards of responsible agriculture, offering nutritious and sustainably produced organic ingredients that both nourish North America and resonate globally.
Bill Longman, manager of grain purchasing at Sunrise Foods International Inc., an organic agri-food ingredient company with its global headquarters in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, says that especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, many consumers are becoming more conscious of their health and the food they eat and are turning increasingly to organic products.
Founded by organic farmers over 25 years ago, Sunrise Foods has served as a vital bridge connecting producers to markets and, ultimately, consumers. Sunrise Foods sources many of its products – mainly grain, legumes and cereal crops – from organic farmers in Canada and the U.S. With a commitment to supporting local producers, Sunrise Foods facilitates access to crucial markets through innovative marketing and efficient logistics.
“Canadian and U.S. organic producers play a critical role in providing nutritious, sustainably produced organic ingredients to North Americans and around the globe. They are valued supply chain partners and critical to maintaining food certainty in uncertain times,” says Mr. Longman.
“A critical element in Sunrise Foods’ work is a firm commitment to upholding the organic integrity of the supply chain,” adds Miles McEvoy, former head of the U.S. National Organic Program and Sunrise Foods’ organic advisor. “I have been working with Sunrise Foods for several years and can attest to the team’s strong organic compliance program, including its organic fraud prevention program.”
In alignment with its vision of sustainability and quality, Sunrise Foods aims to strengthen the backbone of Canadian agriculture and amplify the reach of organic products. Saskatchewan producer Clem Schraefel has been growing organic crops for Sunrise Foods for more than 20 years on what has expanded into 6,500 acres of land near Kerrobert, a town of 1,200 people 200 kilometres west of Saskatoon.
“I started doing business with the founders of Sunrise Foods, and from the beginning, I was convinced they were going to start a good company,” says Mr. Schraefel. “They treated the farmers with respect and understood that farming can be unpredictable and contracts can’t always be perfect; for example, there’s a crop failure, in which Sunrise worked closely with me to help me fulfill my contract obligations.
“At the time, organic wasn’t mentioned in Saskatchewan; you couldn’t get organic food in any of the stores; it was just relatively unknown,” he says. “We faced a lot of criticism when we started, but after 25 years of doing it, we haven’t looked back, and the demand for our products has been strong.”
The significance of local producers is magnified in the current global landscape, where uncertainties in supply chains have highlighted the importance of local food security. An important element of Sunrise Foods’ success is its extensive sourcing capabilities through a uniquely integrated supply chain that extends from the company’s North American base to its global subsidiaries and associated trading, processing and port operations.
“The one thing we all have in common is that agriculture is everywhere,” says Mr. Longman. “There are excellent farmers around the world, and we are lucky to work with them.”
To view this report on The Globe's website, visit globeandmail.com
To view the full report as it appeared in The Globe's print edition: Organic Week