Agri-Food Trade Service

FOODEX - Chiba, Japan

Held in March every year, FOODEX Japan is the largest food and beverage tradeshow in Asia-Pacific. The number of exhibiting companies at the 2011 show was 2,400-plus from 65 countries with 75,000 buyers and sellers from around the globe. The show featured more than 21 product sectors representing the entire food industry spectrum.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) in collaboration with the Canadian Embassy in Japan managed all aspects of the Canada Pavilion at FOODEX Japan, including a branded presence, one-on-one meetings with trade commissioners, a common lounge, telecommunication and meeting room facilities and a market intelligence briefing. A Canada reception was held to introduce Canadian exhibitors to Japanese importers, buyers and media contacts.

The Canada Pavilion at the 2011 show was 465 sqm and included some 29 Canadian food and beverage exporters, five industry associations, two provinces, and two federal departments.

Participants gave high marks to the Canada Pavilion for its attractiveness, visibility, and effectiveness in projecting Canada as a world class agri-food producer. Some 92% of exhibitors reported that participating in the Canada Pavilion provided advantages and enabled them to benefit from Canada's strong reputation. Participants reported sales to be $16.3 million over the next year and 371 new trade leads (est).

Trends to note in the Japanese market include a growing number of discount stores and online supermarkets. Japanese consumers are concerned with affordability, public perception, eating healthy and high quality food.