May 19, 2026 – The Canadian Oilseed Processors Association (COPA) is pleased to announce that Mark Walker has joined the organization as executive director, effective May 19, 2026.

“We are excited to welcome Mark as executive director of the Canadian Oilseed Processors Association,” says Ryan Law, director trading, canola crush, Bunge and chair of the COPA board of directors. “His experience in markets, trade and policy, combined with his leadership across the agriculture value chain, makes him well positioned to support a competitive and growing oilseed processing sector in Canada.”

Walker brings extensive agriculture and value-chain know-how to the role. He previously served as vice-president, markets and trade with Cereals Canada, where he provided leadership on domestic and international market development priorities for the Canadian cereals value chain. He has also served as a board member and treasurer of the Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance and was previously a manager with the Canadian Canola Growers Association. In addition, he has provided consulting services to agricultural clients on sustainability, policy and government relations.

“Canada’s oilseed processing sector is playing an increasingly important role in creating value, supporting domestic economic growth and serving global food, feed and fuel markets,” says Walker. “I’m pleased to join COPA at a time of significant investment and opportunity, and I look forward to working with members and partners to help advance the sector’s long-term competitiveness.”

Walker holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Manitoba and a Master of Arts in International Affairs from Carleton University.

The Canadian Oilseed Processors Association is a federally incorporated non-profit industry association that works in partnership with the Canola Council of Canada to represent the interests of oilseed processors in Canada.

MILTON KEYNES, UK, 14 May 2026 — Adam Equipment Co. Ltd., a leading global designer and manufacturer of high-quality, precision scales and balances, today introduced its new brand identity, marking the next evolution of a legacy built on accuracy and the next phase of its growth.

For more than half a century, Adam has been the answer for weighing professionals worldwide. The company’s new brand identity reflects the trust it’s earned from its customers and focuses Adam’s commitment to providing expanded solutions and clearer vision to industries where precision matters most.

“As we begin a new chapter in the Adam story, through our new and expanded product developments and innovations, it felt like a natural time to take a deeper dive into where we've been and where we see ourselves going, as we continue to drive performance,” said Colin Maher, Adam CEO/Group Managing Director.

Adam was founded in 1972 in Bletchley, England. The company quickly outgrew its initial facility, and in 1975, moved to Milton Keynes (and to increasingly larger facilities there). In the 1980s, Adam began to design its own products and international growth soon followed with the company opening its South Africa branch in 1990, followed by the U.S. (1998), China (2005), Australia (2006) and Germany (2015).

Adam’s impressive global expansion didn’t go unnoticed: in 2019, Sweden-based Indutrade AB, an international technology and industrial group with more than 220 companies and 9,800 employees worldwide, acquired Adam. Becoming part of the Indutrade group strongly positioned Adam for scaling the business and the next phase begins with its rebrand.

The new modern brand identity – based around the strap line “Adam is the answer,” conveying the confidence Adam has in its scales and balances – includes a new logo, typography and brand color palette. The logo and strap line work in concert, with the logo incorporating an equal sign to recall the strap line’s use of the word “answer.”

In May and June, the company will support its strategic development and brand relaunch by hosting meetings for key dealerships in its branch offices in the U.K. and the U.S, and an upcoming global webinar for Adam’s 4,500+ member dealership network.

The in-person meetings will offer insights into Adam’s future, while showcasing its innovative, expanded product portfolio, a new service network and the launch of an Adam training academy.

As he prepared to host the dealership meeting in the U.K., where the new branding debuted today, Maher said, “I'm excited to see this journey finally begin and delighted that our dealership partners are joining us."

Vancouver, BC – May 14th, 2026 – Fresh Direct Produce Ltd., which is part of the FDP Group is honoured to be one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies over the past decade. This prestigious national award is sponsored by Deloitte, CIBC, Norton Rose Fulbright, Export Development Canada (EDC), TMX Group and media partner The Globe and Mail.

“We are proud to receive our 15th consecutive Best Managed Companies Award, and it couldn’t have been accomplished without the strong dedication and efforts from our teams, customers, vendors and business partners” says CEO, Adri de Wet.

The FDP Group which consists of Fresh Direct Produce Ltd., Emperor Specialty Foods Ltd., Islands West Manufactures Ltd., and Yen Bros. Food Service Ltd., is one of Canada’s premier fresh produce importers, distributors, and marketers with 7 locations. Sourcing and importing over 1,500 ethnic, organic, and conventional fruit and vegetable items from 36 countries, the FDP Group distributes quality produce to grocery retailer and foodservice customers across Canada. The Group’s commitment to growth and development allows them to attract and align with the best growers, customers, and talents in the industry.

For additional information about Fresh Direct Produce or the FDP Group, please contact: peter.app@freshdirectproduce.com.

For more information about Canada’s Best Managed Companies Program, please visit: www.bestmanagedcompanies.ca

Winnipeg, MB, May 12, 2026 – Today marks the launch of AIVA, the Agriculture Innovation, Validation and Adoption Network. It is set to give Canadian farmers the confidence and real-world proof they need to embrace agricultural technologies on their farms.

AIVA will partner with farmers and innovators to test and validate agtech using standardized testing frameworks that can be applied to technology, across Canada. Technologies are tested in real-world conditions to confirm they deliver measurable value to farmers, such as reducing input costs and improving productivity.

In 2025, Farm Credit Canada (FCC) reported that using innovation to increase agricultural productivity could boost farmer incomes by $30 billion over the next decade. However, innovators have limited access to real-world testing environments where they can refine their products based on farmer feedback.

AIVA is solving this issue with its farmer-centric model that rigorously vets early-stage and market-ready technologies on Canadian farms, ensuring that innovators are providing farmers with agtech that solves real-world challenges. Technologies that demonstrate strong tangible results may be recognized as AIVA Technology Partners.

For the 2026 growing season, AIVA’s Validation Hubs will conduct nine national, multi-site collaboration projects with agtech companies such as Geco Weed Management, Corteva, Picketa, Miraterra, and FarmerTitan, trialing early-stage tools like spray drones, remote sensors, and farm management software.

AIVA has already identified 25 Farmer Alliance Members, representing more than 297,000 acres of farmland across Saskatchewan and Manitoba, to pilot market-ready technology in real-world conditions. In future years, AIVA will expand the model to include Farm Alliance Members from additional regions, deliberately building representation from across Canada.

AIVA has also established a national industry coalition made up of leaders in agtech innovation and validation. The coalition will bring together voices from across the sector to improve collaboration and help accelerate the adoption of new technologies in Canadian agriculture.

AIVA was founded by FCC, EMILI, and WHIN, and brings together partners and leaders from across the agriculture industry. Its mission is to empower Canadian farmers to adopt technology with confidence and ensure every investment improves on-farm efficiency and profitability.

Quotes:

“Canadian farmers deserve access to the best technology available, and that’s why farmers are at the heart of AIVA’s testing and validation processes. Our work brings stakeholders together to advance technology that solves real challenges for Canadian farmers, and provides them with real-world, third-party validated data to make their purchasing decisions.” – Rebecca Franklin, AIVA Network Lead

“AIVA’s trials will provide results from across multiple farms and fields in different geographies across Canada. It’s unprecedented how valuable that information is going to be for innovators.” – Greg Stewart, CEO and Founder of Geco Weed Management

“AIVA is built for farmers – giving them confidence to adopt agtech that has been tested and proven on Canadian farms. At FCC, we know access to capital matters, but it is only valuable when it supports solutions that deliver results on the ground. That’s where the value creation that AIVA provides comes in – stitching together farmers with innovators, so they get input early and solve real on-farm challenges.” – Graeme Millen, Vice President, Strategic Finance and Business Development, FCC

"AIVA's success will be measured by our ability to help agtech scale faster and more effectively. We want to ensure that farmers can adopt new technology with confidence, knowing that the product has been through rigorous, real-world testing." – Jacqueline Keena, CEO, EMILI

“AIVA makes sure the right technologies reach producers through rigorous vetting, trusted farmer networks, and hands-on adoption support. When the right technologies take root, adoption accelerates and that’s how the whole industry moves forward.” – Johnny Park, CEO, WHIN

"New technologies are bombarding farmers from all angles these days and it is hard to know how to manage all these opportunities. AIVA provides farmers direction, reduces the risk of trying these new innovations on their own operations and facilitates a network of like-minded farmers to share their experiences." – Scott Day, Farmer, Deloraine, Manitoba

To learn more about AIVA, join the network, or attend upcoming events, visit www.aivanetwork.ca.