Overview of the Agrifoods Industry

Introduction

The British Columbia agrifoods sector is made up of several industries: agriculture, seafood, and food and beverage processing. In total the sector employs more than 80,000 people.

• The agricultural sector employs over 46,000 people who work on nearly 20,000 B.C. farms
• Food and beverage processing companies employee over 36,000 people who work in more than 2,500 businesses that produce a variety of foods and beverages

Farmers, greenhouse owners, egg producers, dairy managers, bakery owners, meat and seafood product manufacturers all report difficulties finding workers!

Studies report that hiring and retaining workers has become a serious issue for employers. Many positions will require filling in the coming years. By 2029, the number of agricultural jobs at risk of going unfilled will reach 15,200, a number that’s equivalent to one in three jobs.

The demand for workers covers the full range of the workforce:

• Seasonal workers
• Technicians
• Trades people
• Managers and supervisors

The industry is losing a great number of its workforce due to retirement. It is projected 33% of BC’s agricultural workforce will retire by 2029. A similar number of workers in the food and beverage industry are expected to retire over the same period.

These industries rely heavily on foreign workers. Close to 23% of the Province’s agricultural workers are foreign.

The industry has responded by developing a number of programs to attract new workers. These include initiatives to attract you to the sector, corporate efforts to encourage diversity in the workplace and strategies for training.