From Silos to Systems — Connected.Integrated.
Food waste, food insecurity, climate regulation, ESG compliance, and packaging reform are converging. Cultivate is the platform infrastructure that connects all 6 areas into one system.
Converging into one platform
Annual food waste in Canada
Regulatory compliance deadline
The Convergence
For the first time, six forces are converging simultaneously: food waste ($58B annually), food insecurity (rising across every province), climate regulation (binding targets by 2030), packaging reform (EPR transitions underway), ESG reporting mandates, and agricultural technology transformation.
Each area has its own stakeholders, regulations, and timelines — but they share the same data gaps. No one is measuring the connections between them. Policy is made in silos. Funding flows to point solutions. The system-level opportunity is invisible.
Between 2026 and 2030, a cascade of regulatory deadlines will force alignment. The FCA ruling, Ontario EPR, Federal Plastics Registry, ISO 20001, and EU binding targets all hit within a 4-year window. Organizations that build connected infrastructure now will define the standard.
Six forces. One window. 2026–2030.
Regulatory Timeline 2026–2030
FCA Ruling
Federal Court of Appeal ruling on packaging EPR scope. Sets precedent for extended producer responsibility across provinces.
ON EPR Launch
Ontario's full EPR transition for Blue Box packaging. Producers now bear 100% of collection and recycling costs province-wide.
Federal Plastics Registry
Mandatory federal plastics registry requiring producers to report packaging volumes, composition, and recyclability targets.
CPMA Convention
Canadian Produce Marketing Association annual convention. Key venue for working group formation and industry alignment on data standards.
The Systems Map
Six areas of Canada's food system, connected through one platform. Click any node to see how data, value, and policy flow between areas.
The 6-Area Interconnection
Click any node to explore how it connects to the rest of the system
The 6 Areas
Stakeholders
Data flows up. Value flows down. Policy flows everywhere.
Every area contributes data to the HUB. Every stakeholder receives intelligence from the HUB. The system is self-reinforcing.
The capstone — 6 areas, one connected system
The Platform Vision
Cultivate is infrastructure, not an application. Two principles define the approach.
The Architecture
Infrastructure, Not App
Cultivate doesn't replace FoodMesh, Link2Feed, or Second Harvest. It connects them. A shared data backbone that makes every participant's existing tools more valuable by connecting them to the whole system.
The Positioning
Non-Competitive, B2B
By design, Cultivate is non-competitive with existing players. We sell to organizations (B2B), not consumers. Every existing platform becomes a potential integration partner, not a competitor. Network effects work because participation is additive.
The insight that makes this work: if you build the connective layer rather than the application layer, every player in the ecosystem has an incentive to participate — because your success amplifies theirs.
The Systems Advantage
Connected systems create value that siloed solutions cannot.
Silos (Today)
- Each area solves in isolation
- Duplicated compliance work
- Data gaps between systems
connected via platform
Systems (Cultivate)
- Cross-area data flows
- Shared compliance infrastructure
- Network effects multiply value
The strategy question driving everything:
“How do we turn 6 silos into 1 system?”
Measurement is the foundation. Packaging, distribution, stewardship, and economics are the pillars. Strategy is the capstone that holds them together. Cultivate builds the infrastructure that connects them all.
Who We Serve
Seven stakeholder groups, one connected ecosystem. Each has unique needs — the platform serves them with shared infrastructure.
Government & Policy Makers
Canada has no national food waste measurement system. Policy is made on estimates, not evidence. Six regulatory streams are converging with no coordinated data backbone.
Unified measurement infrastructure that connects federal, provincial, and municipal data. Real-time dashboards for AAFC, ECCC, and Health Canada. Cross-ministry coordination layer.
Establish Canada's FLW baseline. Enable evidence-based food policy across all 6 areas simultaneously. Position Canada as G7 food systems leader.
Model: Data product licensing + consulting
Industry Associations
CPMA, CFIG, and sector associations need member intelligence to shape policy, but each operates in a silo with no cross-sector data aggregation.
Anonymized, aggregated member benchmarking across the full value chain. Regulatory radar spanning all 6 areas. Industry-wide trend reports connecting packaging, distribution, and waste.
Become the authoritative voice on food system data in Canada. Drive policy with evidence that spans the entire ecosystem, not just your sector.
Model: Annual association license
NGOs & Food Banks
Impact measurement is fragmented. Food banks track volume but not nutritional impact. NGOs can't prove the connection between food rescue and health outcomes at scale.
Connected impact measurement from surplus capture through community distribution. Nutritional outcome tracking. Predictive inbound forecasting linked to retail and processor surplus data.
Transform from reactive recipients to planned distribution networks. Prove nutritional impact to funders with real data that connects supply to health outcomes.
Model: Free tier (grant-subsidized)
Impact Investors
AgriTech is the fastest-growing vertical ($69.8B to $136.2B) but most plays are point solutions with no platform moat. No one is building the connective infrastructure.
Cultivate is infrastructure, not an app. Multi-sided platform with network effects across 6 interconnected areas. Every new node increases data value for all participants.
$58B addressable waste problem. Government co-funding (75% eligible). First-mover in a market with zero incumbents connecting at national, multi-sector scale.
Model: Platform economics + data licensing
Platform Players
FoodMesh, Link2Feed, Second Harvest -- each solves one piece brilliantly but operates in isolation. No shared data layer means no systemic impact measurement.
Non-competitive integration layer. Cultivate doesn't replace existing platforms -- it connects them. Shared data standards, API interoperability, and cross-platform analytics.
Your platform becomes more valuable when connected to the ecosystem. Access to cross-sector data you can't generate alone. Government procurement eligibility through standards compliance.
Model: API integration + revenue share
Academic & Research
CAAIN, universities, and research institutions need real-world data to validate food system models, but operational data is siloed and inaccessible at scale.
Research-grade datasets spanning all 6 areas. Anonymized operational data for longitudinal studies. Pilot program partnerships connecting theory to practice.
Access to the largest connected food system dataset in Canada. Publication-ready data. CAAIN and AgriScience grant alignment for funded research programs.
Model: Research license + grant partnerships
Data & Technology Partners
IoT providers, ERP systems, and data companies each serve one vertical. No integration standard exists for food system data across packaging, distribution, measurement, and compliance.
Open data standards and API framework for the entire food system. Integration toolkit for IoT, ERP, POS, and logistics systems. Shared ontology for food waste, packaging, and distribution data.
Your technology reaches 6 markets through one integration. Early mover advantage in defining the data standards that will become mandatory. Government procurement pipeline.
The Platform Roadmap
Four phases, from discussion paper to national infrastructure. Julie's 3-tactic engagement model drives each stage.
Discussion Paper
Q1 2026
Publish the systems-thinking framework connecting all 6 areas. Circulate to CPMA, CFIG, government contacts, and academic partners for feedback.
Working Group Formation
Q2 2026 / CPMA
Launch multi-stakeholder working group at CPMA Convention. Government, industry, NGOs, and technology partners at the same table for the first time.
Pilot Programs
Q3-Q4 2026
Run integrated pilot programs connecting 2-3 areas (e.g., packaging + distribution, measurement + stewardship) to prove data flow between systems.
National Infrastructure
2027+
Scale to national platform infrastructure. Government data products, provincial dashboards, and cross-border analytics. Position Canada as G7 food systems leader.
Discussion Paper
Publish the systems-thinking framework connecting all 6 areas. Circulate to CPMA, CFIG, government contacts, and academic partners for feedback.
Working Group Formation
Launch multi-stakeholder working group at CPMA Convention. Government, industry, NGOs, and technology partners at the same table for the first time.
Pilot Programs
Run integrated pilot programs connecting 2-3 areas (e.g., packaging + distribution, measurement + stewardship) to prove data flow between systems.
National Infrastructure
Scale to national platform infrastructure. Government data products, provincial dashboards, and cross-border analytics. Position Canada as G7 food systems leader.
Global Platform Thinking
The countries that built connected food systems — not just point solutions — are the ones seeing results. Canada can learn from their platform approaches.
South Korea
95%Integrated systems approach -- weight-based pricing, mandatory tracking, and connected waste-to-energy infrastructure. Platform thinking at national scale.
Japan
31%Cross-ministry coordination connecting agriculture, environment, and industry data. Mandatory reporting drove 31% reduction through connected government systems.
UK (WRAP)
18%WRAP's Courtauld Commitment proved multi-stakeholder platform governance works. Voluntary industry targets backed by shared measurement infrastructure.
European Union
2030Binding food waste reduction targets with integrated packaging, distribution, and measurement requirements. The regulatory convergence Canada must prepare for.
CACanada has no connected food system platform.
No national measurement backbone. No cross-sector data standard. No way to coordinate the 6 converging regulatory streams. That's the opportunity.
Global AgriTech market
The Engagement Model
Julie's 3-tactic approach: Discussion Paper, Working Group, and Events. Each tactic builds on the last, creating compounding momentum through 2026.
Q1 2026 — Frame the Problem
Publish the systems-thinking framework showing how all 6 areas connect. Circulate to CPMA, CFIG, government contacts, and academic partners. Establish the vocabulary and evidence base.
Q2 2026 / CPMA Convention
Launch multi-stakeholder working group at CPMA Convention (April 2026). Government, industry, NGOs, and technology partners at the same table. Define data standards and pilot program scope.
Q3-Q4 2026 — Prove It Works
Run integrated pilot programs connecting 2-3 areas. Present results at industry events. Build the evidence base for national infrastructure funding in 2027+.
Stakeholder-Specific Entry Points
Government
Tactic 1
Discussion Paper review + data gap analysis
Industry
Tactic 2
CPMA Working Group + member benchmarking
Technology
Tactic 3
API integration pilots + data standards
CPMA Convention (April 2026) is the anchor event. The working group formation happens there. Everything before it (discussion paper) feeds into it. Everything after it (pilots, national infrastructure) builds from it.
Funding Strategy
Canada's grant ecosystem is uniquely aligned with agriculture data infrastructure. Two stacking layers of non-dilutive capital.
Foundation Grants
AI in agriculture -- platform infrastructure
Innovation assistance for data integration
Social innovation & food systems
Scale / Government Funding
AAFC program -- national data infrastructure
Clean technology & infrastructure bank
$5-15M over 3 years
Stacking strategy
75% government assistance
Maximum eligible assistance
Join the Coalition
Six areas. Seven stakeholder groups. One connected platform. Whether you're in government, industry, research, technology, or community organizations — there's a seat at this table.
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