top of page
Food Forward Summit 2026
Canada's agri-food innovation and trade summit connects agriculture, aquaculture, food manufacturers, agtech, investors, buyers, distributors, policymakers, and international market partners.
Oct 8, 2026
👥 2,000+ Decision-Makers Expected
The International Centre, Mississauga, Canada
🏢 Innovation Expo and Partner Ecosystem
Who Should Attend
Food & Agriculture Executives
Leadership teams can follow policy, trade, investment and food-system strategy rather than product sourcing alone.
Investors & Commercialization Partners
The agenda's capital and innovation themes make it relevant to people evaluating technologies and scalable food businesses.
Agri-Food Innovators & Startups
Founders can connect with corporate leaders, investors and market-access partners through the innovation ecosystem.
Policy, Research & Food-System Leaders
Researchers, associations and public-sector professionals can engage on food security, regulation, science and market access.
Top Reasons to Attend
1
Strategy Rather Than Trade-Fair Sourcing
Food Forward is a summit. Attend for ideas, capital, policy and relationships, not rows of machinery suppliers.
2
Three-Theatre 2026 Agenda
Leadership, Innovation and Community create distinct tracks across policy, capital, science and market access.
3
Cross-Food-System Network
The audience spans agriculture, CPG, research, policy, investment and food security, useful for issues that cannot be solved inside one category.
4
Commercialization Connections
Commercialization is one of the strongest reasons to attend. Startups and innovators should arrive with a clear pilot, customer or investment objective and use the summit’s buyer, investor and executive network to identify who can actually move the technology into market.
5
Executive Perspective
Use the event to challenge strategic assumptions and identify issues that may affect the business beyond the next purchasing cycle.
What You'll See & Do
🔎
Leadership Theatre
Prioritize sessions dealing with strategy, trade, policy and decisions affecting established food businesses.
💡
Innovation Theatre
Use technology and science sessions to evaluate where innovation is commercially mature versus still experimental.
🔎
Community Theatre
Follow discussions connecting food access, communities and the broader social role of the food system.
💡
Innovation Challenge
Founders and investors should use the challenge to identify emerging companies and commercialization opportunities.
🤝
Speaker Networking
The value of a summit often lies in targeted conversations with speakers and attendees, so plan meetings around the agenda.
🤝
Buyer Networking
Buyer networking at Food Forward Summit should be used to reach food and agriculture decision-makers who can commercialise innovation: retailers, manufacturers, investors, corporate innovation teams and other operators with a route to pilot, procurement or scale.
🏢 Are you Exhibiting at This Event?
Register your company on AgriLinkage to connect with qualified buyers before, during, and after the event. Over 50,000 buyers search AgriLinkage monthly to find suppliers.
✓ Pre-Event Visibility: Buyers can find your booth before they arrive
✓ Direct Inquiries: Receive qualified leads through our platform
✓ Post-Event Connections: Continue conversations after the show ends
✓ No Commission: We only charge exhibitors, buyers contact you for free
💼 Attending as a Business Professional?
Register as a business visitor to get exhibitor alerts, networking opportunities, and priority notifications when companies in your sector register. Free for all business attendees.
✓ Exhibitor Alerts: Get notified when suppliers you're interested in register
✓ Pre-Event Connections: Schedule meetings before you arrive at the show
✓ Booth Locations: We'll tell you exactly where your targets are located
✓ Networking Matches: Connect with other buyers in your industry
Getting to Mississauga
For Food Forward Summit, plan arrival through Toronto Pearson International Airport and onward travel to The International Centre, Mississauga, Canada. Choose accommodation based on event-week availability and actual door-to-door travel time, not city-centre distance alone.
✈️ Flights to Mississauga — Skyscanner
Toronto Pearson International Airport is the primary flight gateway used for this Mississauga trip. The flight link opens a destination-specific Skyscanner page; compare schedules as well as fare so arrival and departure work with Food Forward Summit's programme.
Where to Stay
Accommodation options for Food Forward Summit in Mississauga. Compare event-week availability, cancellation terms and transport time to The International Centre, Mississauga, Canada.
Tools & Services for Attendees
INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL ESSENTIALS
Post-Event CRM & Lead Management
🏗️ Food Forward Summit — Official Exhibitor Services
If you are exhibiting at Food Forward Summit, use the organiser's official site for stand rules, approved contractors, technical deadlines, freight access and exhibitor-service instructions. This avoids relying on an unrelated generic stand-builder recommendation.
📦 DHL Global Forwarding — Samples & Freight
For Food Forward Summit, DHL Global Forwarding can be relevant when samples, ingredients, packaged products or temperature-sensitive commercial materials need international freight handling. Check customs, food or plant-health requirements before shipping anything to the show.
POST-EVENT CRM & LEAD MANAGEMENT
🔎 TraceGains — Supplier & Compliance Management
TraceGains is relevant to seafood, aquaculture and food businesses attending Food Forward Summit that need supplier documentation, specifications, compliance records and qualification workflows. It is useful when new suppliers from the show must pass technical and regulatory review before purchase.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. When is Food Forward Summit 2026?
October 8, 2026.
2. Where is it held?
The International Centre in Mississauga, Ontario, beside Toronto Pearson International Airport.
3. Who should attend?
Agriculture and aquaculture companies, food manufacturers, CPG brands, agtech founders, investors, buyers, distributors, policymakers, and innovation organizations.
4. Can international attendees request visa support?
Registered attendees may request a visa support letter, although the organizer does not provide visa processing.
Related Agricultural Events
bottom of page