Canada Grains Council
Canada Grains Council is a national non-profit trade association founded in 1969 that represents the Canadian grain, oilseed, pulse, and special crop value chain through consensus-based advocacy on policy, crop protection, and seed innovation. It is funded by membership dues from commodity associations and grain handlers/exporters and engages Canadian regulators and international bodies including the WTO and IGTC.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1969
- HeadquartersOttawa, Canada
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Canada Grains Council does
Canada Grains Council (CGC) is a national, membership-based non-profit trade association founded in 1969 and headquartered at 350 Sparks Street, Suite 703, Ottawa. It represents the entire Canadian grain, oilseed, pulse, and special crop value chain—from producers and grain handlers/exporters to seed innovators, input suppliers, and processors—through a consensus-based governance model. Sustaining member organizations include the Canola Council of Canada, Cereals Canada, CropLife Canada, Pulse Canada, Soy Canada, Grain Growers of Canada, and the Western Grain Elevator Association, with corporate members including Richardson International, Viterra, Cargill, G3, Parrish & Heimbecker, and Paterson Grain. CGC's mission is to be the leading advocate for the Canadian grains sector on cross-commodity issues, advancing science- and risk-based policies through sector leadership, crop protection, and seed innovation working groups.
CGC's core deliverables are advocacy services rather than technology products: the Policy Priorities and Sector Vision Guide, formal policy submissions to government, the "Fireside Chats with Erin" podcast, and the annual Canadian Crops Convention. The organization engages Canadian regulatory agencies (PMRA, CFIA), Federal/Provincial/Territorial Ministers of Agriculture, and international bodies including the WTO, Codex, and the International Grain Trade Coalition (IGTC), where President Erin Gowriluk serves as Vice-President. CGC has a small staff of approximately four to five full-time employees (President, Vice President of Crop Protection, Director of Stakeholder Relations & Operations, and Bookkeeper) led by Erin Gowriluk (President since 2022), with governance provided by a Board of Directors chaired by Pierre Petelle (President & CEO of CropLife Canada) and vice-chaired by Greg Cherewyk (President of Pulse Canada).
CGC is funded entirely through membership dues from organizations across the grain value chain, operating on a subscription/recurring revenue model typical of trade associations. It does not sell products or services in the commercial sense and does not have disclosed funding rounds, institutional investors, or parent company. Its primary recent activities include a January 2026 white paper on EU innovation-related trade barriers, a June 2026 trilateral letter supporting CUSMA renewal, and ongoing engagement on crop protection and seed innovation regulatory frameworks.
Canada Grains Council firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Canada Grains Council
- Legal name
- Canada Grains Council
- Website
- https://canadagrainscouncil.ca
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1969
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Canada Grains Council is a national non-profit trade association founded in 1969 that represents the Canadian grain, oilseed, pulse, and special crop value chain through consensus-based advocacy on policy, crop protection, and seed innovation. It is funded by membership dues from commodity associations and grain handlers/exporters and engages Canadian regulators and international bodies including the WTO and IGTC.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Canada Grains Council industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industry Trade Association
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Grain Merchandising & Origination Facilities (AFAOAAAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Grain Quality Testing (Moisture, Protein, Oil, Test Weight) (AFAOAMAB)
Keywords
Where Canada Grains Council is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ottawa
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Canada Grains Council business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Membership Dues: The Canada Grains Council is funded through membership dues from organizations across the grain value chain, including producers, grain handlers/exporters, input suppliers, and processors.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Canada Grains Council product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Canada Grains Council is a national trade association that provides unified policy advocacy and stakeholder representation for the Canadian grain, oilseed, pulse, and special crop sectors. It coordinates consensus-based working groups, conducts crop protection and seed innovation advocacy, engages with government and international trade bodies, and hosts industry events such as the annual Canadian Crops Convention. Its deliverables include the Policy Priorities and Sector Vision Guide and thought-leadership content such as the Fireside Chats with Erin podcast.
Product overview
Canada Grains Council is a national trade association representing the Canadian grain, oilseed, pulse, and special crop sectors. The organization does not offer a unified software product but provides a portfolio of advocacy services including policy development through consensus-based working groups, crop protection advocacy, seed innovation advocacy, and thought leadership through the Fireside Chats with Erin podcast. Key deliverables include the Policy Priorities and Sector Vision Guide for legislators and the annual Canadian Crops Convention event.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Fireside Chats with Erin: A podcast series where CGC President Erin Gowriluk engages in candid conversations with domestic and international agricultural insiders, influencers, and policy makers.
Products and services
- Policy Priorities and Sector Vision Guide A high-level policy document that provides legislators with an approach for achieving a growth-oriented export agriculture policy environment.
- Fireside Chats with Erin Podcast A podcast series where CGC President Erin Gowriluk engages in candid conversations with domestic and international agricultural insiders, influencers, and policy makers about trends, challenges, and opportunities in agriculture.
- Sector Leadership Advocacy Develops policy positions through collaborative, sector-wide, consensus-based working groups ensuring consistent approaches to resolving common issues affecting the Canadian grains sector.
- Crop Protection Advocacy Advocacy service ensuring Canadian producers have timely access to safe, effective crop protection products while maintaining market access for exports through science-based regulatory engagement.
- Seed Innovation Advocacy Advocacy service driving seed innovation to keep Canadian grain competitive globally through science-based policies and international engagement.
- Canadian Crops Convention CGC's flagship annual event that convenes stakeholders across the grain value chain for industry discussions and partnership development.
Quantifiable outcome
- Representing sectors where up to 90% of Canadian grain is exported, making market access critical to sector success
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Canada Grains Council
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Canada Grains Council technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Canada Grains Council partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, core and supporting.
- Like-minded countries coalition (EU trade barrier response)strategicCGC white paper recommends establishing a coalition of like-minded countries to defend science- and risk-based regulation and promote trade-facilitative approaches to crop protection standards.
- International Grain Trade Coalition (IGTC)coreCGC is a founding member of the IGTC, a global organization uniting trade associations to develop common positions on issues impacting global grain trade. CGC President Erin Gowriluk serves as Vice-President of IGTC. The coalition works on non-tariff regulatory trade barriers, digital solutions for trade, and advocacy with global organizations like WTO.
- Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Crops (CRSC)coreCGC participates in the CRSC, a collaborative forum for the Canadian grains sector focused on sustainability.
- Canola Council of CanadacoreSustaining member organization representing the canola sector within the CGC value chain.
- Cereals CanadacoreSustaining member organization representing the cereals sector within the CGC value chain.
- CropLife CanadacoreSustaining member organization representing crop protection and plant science innovations within the CGC value chain.
- Pulse CanadacoreSustaining member organization representing the pulse sector within the CGC value chain.
- Grain Growers of CanadacoreSustaining member organization representing grain farmers nationally within the CGC value chain.
- Soy CanadacoreSustaining member organization representing the soybean sector within the CGC value chain.
- Western Grain Elevator AssociationcoreSustaining member organization representing major grain handling companies within the CGC value chain.
- Flax Council of CanadasupportingMember organization representing the flax sector within the CGC value chain.
- Grain Farmers of OntariosupportingMember organization representing grain farmers in Ontario within the CGC value chain.
- Federal/Provincial/Territorial Ministers of AgriculturecoreCGC engages with FPT Ministers of Agriculture on pesticide management, regulatory frameworks, and agricultural policy through formal working groups.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Canada Grains Council competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Cereals Canada: National Canadian trade association for the cereals value chain. CGC and Cereals Canada co-exist as Canadian grain industry bodies, with cross-representation on boards and overlapping membership among grain exporters and processors.
- Canola Council of Canada: National value-chain organization for the Canadian canola industry. As a sustaining member of CGC, it operates in parallel, representing one specific commodity within CGC's broader grain mandate.
- Pulse Canada: National trade association representing Canadian pulse crop growers, processors, and exporters. A sustaining member of CGC's board, VP-level staff have moved between the two organizations, making them operatively similar.
- Grain Growers of Canada: National farmer-led organization representing Canadian grain producers on policy. CGC's President Erin Gowriluk previously led Grain Growers of Canada, and the organizations share policy advocacy on cross-cutting grain issues.
- CropLife Canada: Trade association for Canada's plant science and crop protection industry. As a CGC sustaining member, CropLife Canada partners on crop protection regulatory advocacy, with CGC's Chair Pierre Petelle serving as CropLife Canada's President & CEO.
- Soy Canada: National value-chain organization for Canadian soybean industry. CGC sustaining member that operates with a similar consensus-based board structure covering producers, processors, and exporters of a single commodity.
Broad incumbents
- U.S. Grains Council: U.S.-based non-profit that promotes international markets for U.S. grain. Functionally parallel to CGC for the U.S. grain industry, with overlap in global grain trade advocacy through co-membership in IGTC.
- International Grains Council: Intergovernmental body coordinating global grain trade. Cooperates with CGC and IGTC on international grain market information and trade policy frameworks, operating at a higher level than national industry associations.
Regional players
- National Grain and Feed Association: U.S. trade association for grain handling, processing, and export firms. Operates the same trade association model as CGC for the U.S. grain value chain, with overlapping policy issues via IGTC and global trade discussions.
- Grain Farmers of Ontario: Ontario-based farmer organization for grain and oilseed producers. CGC sustaining member representing regional (Ontario) grain farmer interests within the broader national CGC framework.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Canada Grains Council social profiles
Digital presenceCanada Grains Council financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Canada Grains Council leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles15 records
Canada Grains Council funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Canada Grains Council M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Canada Grains Council
What does Canada Grains Council do?
Canada Grains Council is a national trade association that provides unified policy advocacy and stakeholder representation for the Canadian grain, oilseed, pulse, and special crop sectors. It coordinates consensus-based working groups, conducts crop protection and seed innovation advocacy, engages with government and international trade bodies, and hosts industry events such as the annual Canadian Crops Convention. Its deliverables include the Policy Priorities and Sector Vision Guide and thought-leadership content such as the Fireside Chats with Erin podcast.
Is Canada Grains Council a public or private company?
Canada Grains Council is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Canada Grains Council founded?
Canada Grains Council was founded in 1969.
Where is Canada Grains Council based?
Canada Grains Council is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Canada Grains Council make money?
One revenue line is on record: membership Dues.
Who are Canada Grains Council's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Cereals Canada, Canola Council of Canada, Pulse Canada, Grain Growers of Canada, CropLife Canada and Soy Canada. Broad incumbents are U.S. Grains Council and International Grains Council. Regional players are National Grain and Feed Association and Grain Farmers of Ontario.
Does Canada Grains Council have an API?
No public API is recorded for Canada Grains Council.
What industry is Canada Grains Council in?
Canada Grains Council's product category is Industry Trade Association. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAOAAAD, Grain Merchandising & Origination Facilities, with a secondary code of AFAOAMAB, Grain Quality Testing (Moisture, Protein, Oil, Test Weight). Its SIC code is 8600.