The proof of the pudding was in the eating for delegates attending the Commonwealth Royal Agriculture conference in Canada this week.
The proof of the pudding was in the eating for delegates attending the Commonwealth Royal Agriculture conference in Canada this week.
As the event drew to a close, food producers from more than 20 developed and developing nations across the Commonwealth were treated to a feast of Canadian cuisine - an edible showcase of the very best that the country's agriculture industry has to offer.
The conference, held in Edmonton, Alberta, ran sessions on a range of topics - from bees to berries - and farmers even brought their livestock along, grooming cows and bulls in a space transformed into a huge barn.
The menu was put together by celebrity chef Michael Smith, a champion of world class Canadian ingredients. He said: "Our goal is to show off all of Canada. So, the menu features food and ingredients from every corner of the country, from every province and territory.
Taste of Canada Final Sized
"We're really looking forward to showing off, from coast to coast to coast, the hard work of our many farmers, fishermen and culinary artisans.
"Agriculture is our backbone and these are very interesting times for agriculture, lots of technological progress, lots of issues, lots of challenges. And so for the Commonwealth, the opportunity to come together, share best practices, make those connections - it's all about communication," he added.
Tempted to try an oyster fresh from the beds of Prince Edward Island, Secretary-General Patricia Scotland said: "This conference is incredibly important because it brings people together - not only from across the Commonwealth but from across different disciplines, different parts of the agriculture community, scientists, teachers - those who really want to communicate what good food and good living is made up of”.
"We hope and aspire to increase intra-Commonwealth trade to 700 billion by 2020 and two trillion dollars by 2030. Agriculture is going to be a really important part of that development and so working together to make sure we have food security is of pivotal importance," concluded the Secretary-General.
