Toronto, Canada, November 26, 2007

On December 10th, companies active within the functional foods and natural health product sectors in Ontario, Canada will gather for the first annual Marketing Health Functionality -- Export Tactics for US Success conference. The event, which is organized by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) in partnership with MaRS Landing, will take place at Toronto's MaRS Center, a key institution located in the city's Discovery District designed to accelerate the commercialization of Canadian innovation.

The conference will focus on critical issues for export success and business opportunities within the rapidly growing U.S. market for natural health products. The event will be an elite gathering of product developers, academics and executives involved in functional health ingredients and innovation in Ontario to discuss how Canadian companies, and those based in Ontario in particular, can benefit from the opportunities in the U.S. market. The one-day conference will feature presentations and case studies from industry experts, inward investment representatives from the U.S., as well as successful Ontario-and Canada based companies.

"We are thrilled to partner with MaRS Landing and AAFC to be a presenter at this milestone event," said Rune G. Nilssen, a Partner with Strategro International, a market entry and growth consultancy with a core focus on natural products and ingredients. "The market is ripe for this type of conference as exporting to the U.S., although close in proximity to Canada, offers many unique challenges for Canadian companies to overcome. Navigating this playing field requires careful planning and execution. This is an area we know well through our work with companies within this sector located in other countries, with similar profiles and challenges,” continued Nilssen.

MaRS Landing, launched in 2002, facilitates business and research collaboration between stakeholders in Toronto's MaRS Discovery District, Guelph’s agricultural–life sciences cluster, and Ontario’s rural innovation community with a focus on linking agriculture, food and human health.

"This will be a unique opportunity for the Ontario-based natural health products companies and other interested parties to gather, network and learn more about the U.S. opportunities," said Dr. John Kelly, Executive Director of MaRS Landing. "All over the world, national and regional governments are developing strategies and tactics on how to better structure and promote their natural products industries, and to better capitalize on the global market opportunities. Combined with a vibrant entrepreneurial community, Ontario has a wealth of raw materials, science and technology so that many critical pieces are in place to create a solid natural health products sector – this event will further help shape the industry," Dr. Kelly continued.

About Strategro International
Strategro International is a market entry and business growth firm working with companies and organizations within the functional foods, nutraceuticals, marine biotechnology, and life science sectors.  Strategro Consulting is the group's consultancy business, which assists companies to enter and expand into new markets, providing business development, strategic advice, market intelligence and hands-on assistance. Strategro International has offices in the U.S. and Canada.  
 
About MaRs Landing
MaRS Landing, created and launched in 2002, is a program dedicated to facilitating the commercialization of innovation in the agriculture and food sectors, with offices located in Research Park at the core of the agriculture and food cluster located in Guelph, Ontario, and in the MaRS Centre, a convergence innovation centre located in Toronto’s renowned “Discovery District”.  MaRS Landing provides the necessary connection between agriculture and food, veterinary and rural-related discoveries with medical, scientific and health advances in Ontario. MaRS Landing is the key driver in facilitating business and research collaboration between stakeholders in Toronto's MaRS Discovery District, Guelph’s agricultural–life sciences cluster, and Ontario’s rural innovation community, to create one of the continent’s most comprehensive medical - agricultural research networks.

Additional coverage: NutraIngredients