The forerunner to Cereal Canada, the Canadian International Grains Institute or CIGI as known to many, started at the corner of Portage and Main in Winnipeg, MB. back in 1972.  
In 2020 CIGI and Cereals Canada merged into one organization combining the technical support piece of CIGI and the market access trade policy into one organization.  
Chief executive officer Dean Dias said this new organization represents all cereals, wheat, barley and oats a major highlight in the last 50 years. 
“Since the birth of this organization, we have analyzed the grain from 50 harvests. More than 51,000 people from over 55 countries have attended one or more of our courses, webinars, training programs, and in-country seminars held in Winnipeg and worldwide.” 
Dias said one important fact learned over the last 50 years is that Canada provides food to the rest of the world.  

“We need to keep our relationships and trust with our customers from around the world by partnering with our value chain, our governments, listening to our customers and aligning our value chain to the customers’ demands.”  
Cereals Canada must look at how to keep up with the changes in the world providing technical support not only for traditional products but non-traditional products.  
“Can we create that facility for the next 50 years and be nimble and flexible to provide support to customers that are not just traditional but also value-added products?” 
The Canadian farmer and the worldwide customer are integral to the value chain. Cereals Canada needs to support the value chain making sure the federal government puts in place regulations and policies to be competitive in the marketplace for tomorrow.  
“Then work with the science-based trade to ensure that trade is predictable when trading with different countries. Can our government have a relationship with governments worldwide to ensure that the trade flows properly?” 
Most of the crop grows in the center of the country and needs to move to the ports. Right now, Canada needs to do better while the world talks about food security to feed the world.  
“We can grow more and pull in all the innovation and science to produce more, but can we deliver it to the ports to make sure that it gets to customers on time?” 
Customer support is vital for those buying Canadian cereals because it’s not always about developing a market but maintaining existing markets which takes much effort.  
However, the only way to support food security concerns worldwide is to grow and deliver more to the customers.  
“And if we can grow more, we need support from the government, the value chain to make sure that we can grow enough with less land. The resources are getting short and shrinking, but we need to grow more.” 
It takes the Canadian agricultural community, the entire value chain members, and the Canadian government to work hand in hand to produce enough good quality crops or consistently deliver the grain to the customers.   
Cereals Canada needs to be around for another 50 years and continue to make a difference.  
“All Canadians should be proud of work done in the past and continue to make sure that the best quality Canadian crops make the best bread in the world and make the best pasta in the world; and something that we should be all proud of.” •
— By Harry Siemens