Canada Beef builds momentum abroad

Market expansion and diversification initiatives remained a high priority for Canada Beef this summer, with several Canadian Beef activations taking place in new and emerging high-opportunity markets.

A collaboration with Napoleon Grills Europe was among the Canada Beef initiatives deployed to help reach new consumers, strengthen awareness, and create opportunities for Canadian beef in international markets. The partnership between the two premium Canadian brands provided an effective platform to introduce and showcase Canadian beef to consumers, barbecue enthusiasts, and fans across Europe.

A key activation took place recently at the German BBQ Championships, where Canadian Beef Ambassador Christoph Grabowski hosted a Canadian beef workshop for visitors to the Napoleon pavilion. Attendees had the opportunity to learn more about Canadian beef quality and its versatility on the grill. This was supported by Canada Beef marketing and awareness-building materials that included information on the quality attributes of Canadian beef as well as the names and locations of retailers where consumers can purchase it in the European market.

Although Europe is a relatively small-volume export destination for Canadian beef, it is an important high-value market with opportunities to further develop demand for premium Canadian beef.

At WOFEX (World Food Expo) Manila in the Philippines (July 29 to Aug. 1), Canada Beef connected participants with Canadian beef suppliers and distributors, along with Canada Beef’s local marketing team. Samples available at the booth let attendees experience the quality, tenderness, and exceptional flavour of Canadian beef.

In June, Canada Beef marked a strong first step in establishing Canadian beef’s reputation and commercial footprint in Jordan. Canada Beef’s Middle East office supported a market development mission to Jordan’s capital, Amman, anchored by the Embassy of Canada’s Canada Day Reception. Canadian beef sliders, the evening’s flagship dish, marked the first commercial introduction of Canadian beef into the Jordanian market.

The mission included meetings with distributors across Jordan’s retail and foodservice sectors to expand Canadian beef’s market presence and position it as a new category in the country’s foodservice industry.

Canadian beef was also featured at Canada Week at Cozmo, a popular grocery chain in Jordan. The activation took place at its 7th Circle location, in partnership with the Embassy of Canada and the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts. The three-day event brought Canadian beef directly to consumers through in-store tastings and live culinary demonstrations.

Diversification efforts will continue. In July, Canada Beef was pleased to receive up to $3.7 million through the Agri-Marketing Program under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership. The investment, announced by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Minister Heath MacDonald at the Calgary Stampede, runs over two years (2026-2028).

The team was also pleased to reconnect with producers and industry stakeholders at the first biennial Canadian Beef Industry Conference (CBIC) in Winnipeg, MB. The August event and trade show provided Canada Beef with an ideal setting to share the quality work undertaken on behalf of Canadian beef producers to market and promote their product to consumers worldwide.

Canada Beef hosted an informative session at CBIC on the trending topic: The GLP-1 Effect: Weight Loss, Consumers, and the Future of Canadian Beef. The session examined how the rise of GLP-1 medications is reshaping conversations around food, nutrition, and consumer eating habits. It also highlighted why nutrient-dense foods such as beef remain important in supporting overall health. The strategic implications of GLP-1 adoption for the beef industry were featured, along with resources like Canada Beef’s new GLP-1 consumer education brochure, Healthy Eating on Weight Loss Medication, to help prioritize protein.

A second session showcased initiatives that communicate the Canadian Beef Advantage in a consumer-friendly way. The team demonstrated how strategic marketing and education efforts work together to keep Canadian beef top of mind with consumers.

Canada Beef’s refreshed booth display provided an inviting setting for CBIC attendees to connect with the Canada Beef team and learn about the latest initiatives and resources underway across all portfolios. They could also take part in a national consumer contest to select the names of the Canadian Beef virtual assistants created to respond to consumer questions. Topics the chatbots were trained on included recommending recipes, cut selection, and cooking method support as well as nutritional information.

Canada Beef’s Annual Report 2025-2026 is available online in a variety of formats. Be sure to take a look at the work that supported the outstanding results for beef market share, per capita consumption, and retail beef demand in the domestic market, as well as the record export value achieved last fiscal year.

As the marketing division of the Canadian Beef Cattle Research, Market Development and Promotion Agency, Canada Beef is the cattle producer-funded and run organization responsible for domestic and international beef, and veal market development. It has staff in Canada, Mexico, Japan, and Taiwan, and representation in Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates. In addition to National Check-Off and import levy funding, Canada Beef leverages cattle producer dollars with private market partner investments and government industry development funding to maximize the benefits of producer check-off investment.

This was first published in Volume 6 Issue 3 of ABP Magazine (September 2026). Watch for more digital content from the magazine on ABP Daily