Speaker

Émilie Villeneuve

CEO and Biofood Planning Consultant
LAFIB

As graduate in microbiology from Université Laval, Mrs. Villeneuve quickly recognized her desire and passion to immerse herself in the world of entrepreneurship and combine her scientific expertise with her interpersonal skills. Uncertain about how exactly to achieve this, she pursued postgraduate studies in organizational management (M.G.O.) at the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi. Her objective was straightforward: to promote “food loss reduction” in conjunction with the integration of a food safety management system. Whether from a financial perspective or simply in alignment with our desire to reduce our environmental footprint, the reduction of food losses is a challenge addressed by various mechanisms of an efficient and functional system.

Consequently, she developed a unique model for a food safety management system that takes into account various standards, including the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s Food Safety Program, the diverse requirements of different standards such as ISO 22000, ISO 22002, ISO 9001, as well as the specifications outlined by Costco. Recognizing that industry requirements would directly impact Quebec businesses, she established regional food safety training cohorts in 2015. It was from this initial service that LAFIB, was born. Following this initiative, she founded the other departments of the company with the aim of bringing together all the solutions to the challenges faced by Quebec’s agri-food businesses in one place. From innovation to production, including the establishment of the Food Processing Rental Plant in 2020, right in the midst of the pandemic, these two companies offer a unique and synergistic hub for private research in process development and semi-industrial production, eliminating all barriers to the marketing of local products throughout Canada.