The Alberta Pulse Growers (APG) selected Gordon Bacon, who continues to promote Canadian pulses internationally, as the winner of the ninth annual Alberta Pulse Industry Innovator Award.

“Each year, APG recognizes a person or organization whose progressive thinking and tireless efforts helped build Alberta’s pulse industry into the flourishing sector that it is today,” said APG Chair Robert Semeniuk. “Gordon Bacon has had a positive influence on pulse promotion and marketing across Canada and around the world for more than 20 years.”

Bacon served as the Pulse Canada’s CEO from 1997 to 2021. He was also the CEO of the Canadian Special Crops Association. He was instrumental in the United Nations declaration of 2016 as International Year of Pulses and the designation of the annual World Pulses Day in February. He was also responsible for Pulse Canada’s commitment to the 25 by 2025 target that aims to create demand in new use categories for 25% of the Canadian pulse industry’s productive capacity by 2025, and other strategies to increase demand for Canadian pulses and pulse ingredients.

Bacon has been active on the Global Pulse Confederation Executive where he now chairs the Global Food Systems Committee and was asked to speak at the 2021 Food System Summit meeting in Rome.

With a long career in market development in the wheat and pulse industries, his work also included time as Senior Policy Advisor to the Minister of Agriculture and with the Research Branch of Agriculture Canada. His career started in 1981 as the District Agriculturalist for Alberta Agriculture in Rimbey.

In 2012, Bacon was presented with the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal. In 2021, the Canadian Western Agribition recognized him as one of the 50 most influential people in Canadian agriculture. In 2021, he was inducted into the Canadian Agriculture Hall of Fame and, earlier this month, Bacon received the Pulse Promoter Award from the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers.

“I feel very honoured to be selected to receive this year’s recognition as Alberta Pulse Industry Innovator,” Bacon said. “Not only did I start my professional career in Alberta, but over the last two decades I worked with many of the previous award recipients.”

Bacon added that he believes Alberta will continue to build a strong pulse sector by serving the needs of area farmers and by ensuring there is a vision that accounts for the continuing changes in consumer demands.

The Alberta Pulse Growers Commission represents growers of field pea, dry bean, lentil, chickpea, faba bean and soybean in Alberta. Our vision is to have pulses on every farm, on every plate.

For more information, please contact:
Rachel Peterson, Communications Coordinator
Phone: 780-986-9398 ext. 108
rpeterson@albertapulse.com
www.albertapulse.com