Herndon, Va; Mar. 24, 2026 – As costs decline and functionality expands, more consumer packaged goods companies and OEMs are expanding usage of artificial intelligence (AI), according to a report released in February 2026 by PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies.

The report, Building an AI Advantage in Packaging Equipment, updates a paper published by PMMI in 2024 and attributes the growth in AI’s role to:

• Lower costs and increased accessibility for companies of all sizes.
• Higher awareness and movement beyond pilot projects.
• Stronger confidence in the technology and willingness to invest.
• Greater acceptance as workers, especially on the frontline, experience tangible benefits.

A global product line manager at an industrial technology and automation company predicts a future with even greater benefits: “In the next five years, the trajectory will move from isolated optimization to coordinated orchestration. Plant-wide systems that dynamically balance throughput, quality, cost, and energy consumption across every production stage will mature from specialized installations to standard capability.”
Based on interviews with AI vendors, packaging machinery manufacturers, and consumer packaged goods companies, the latest report discusses technical innovations, driving forces, barriers to adoption, and examples of successful real-world implementations.
“Manufacturers across the packaging value chain are recognizing that AI can help address some of their most pressing challenges, from workforce knowledge gaps to operational efficiency. What we’re seeing now is a shift from isolated pilots toward broader adoption, where AI supports smarter, more connected production environments,” says Jorge Izquierdo, vice president, market development at PMMI.
As use of AI expands, the most common applications fall into five categories, with knowledge transfer and machine vision currently experiencing the highest momentum, followed by predictive maintenance, regulation and compliance, and data transparency.
Despite growing usage, obstacles remain to implementing AI. Primary concerns include data hallucinations and accountability for AI-generated errors. This has increased interest, especially from smaller firms, in software-as-a-service models that shift risk to providers. In addition, although progress has been made in strengthening security, cybersecurity remains a major issue. Other barriers include internal attitudes, ROI, latency challenges, existing data infrastructure, job security, and gaps in operational readiness.
The report outlines five steps needed to achieve a successful AI strategy:

• Identify business or product challenges.
• Consult AI experts and identify a suitable approach.
• Assess system readiness.
• Manage change and drive adoption.
• Foster collaboration across stakeholders.

Izquierdo adds: “Artificial intelligence is becoming a practical tool for improving packaging operations, and PACK EXPO International offers a unique opportunity for companies to see these innovations in action and explore how they can be applied on the plant floor.”
The AI landscape is advancing at an unprecedented pace, with transformative developments occurring within remarkably short cycles. See the latest innovations in AI at PACK EXPO International 2026 (Oct. 18–21; McCormick Place, Chicago) and experience the largest and most comprehensive packaging and processing event in North America. Explore 2,600 exhibitors and discover machinery, materials, and technology solutions for 40+ industries — all in one place. With 48,000 attendees, targeted pavilions, and curated planning tools, it’s easier than ever to find what your operation needs, uncover emerging trends, and make valuable connections. Held only once every two years, PACK EXPO International is a can’t-miss opportunity for packaging and processing professionals. To learn more and register, visit packexpointernational.com today. Registration for the show is $30 until Sept. 25, after which it increases to $130.

Regina, Saskatchewan, March 24, 2026 – The average value of Canadian farmland continued its steady climb in 2025, increasing by 9.3 per cent, according to the latest . The Prairie provinces drove much of the year’s average increase, while the Maritimes followed with continued growth. In contrast, Ontario and Quebec’s increase in average values eased from the stronger gains recorded in previous years.

Manitoba recorded the largest average farmland value increase at 12.2 per cent, followed by Alberta at 11.4 per cent and Saskatchewan at 9.4 per cent. In Atlantic Canada, New Brunswick showed a 9.1 per cent gain and Prince Edward Island rose by 8.5 per cent, while Nova Scotia recorded a more modest 1.6 per cent increase. Farmland values in Quebec increased by 4.8 per cent, reflecting steady demand across a diverse agricultural base, while Ontario saw a slower pace of growth at 2.2 per cent following several years of stronger gains. Four provinces reported higher growth rates in 2025 than 2024: Alberta, Manitoba, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.

British Columbia recorded a decline in the average value of 1.7 per cent, yet the province has the highest farmland values on average. There were insufficient publicly reported sales in Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon to fully assess changes in farmland values in those regions.

Over the past year the Canadian farmland market remained resilient, defying expectations as producers continued to expand their land base and make strategic acquisitions, supporting values across cultivated, irrigated, and pastureland nationwide.

“Demand for farmland remained robust, supported by long-term confidence in Canadian agriculture, lower borrowing costs, strong livestock prices and the limited supply of land available for sale,” said J.P. Gervais, ag production executive vice-president at FCC. “The ongoing uncertainties related to trade and tariffs, high input costs and low commodity prices did not deter buyers’ interest in farmland. These factors combined with varying local market conditions will influence future trends in farmland affordability.”

While more than 30 years of increasing farmland values is good news for current owners, it can present a significant challenge to those who want to enter the agriculture sector. FCC offers products such as the Transition Loan to support young farmers and others looking to join a thriving industry.

By sharing agriculture economic knowledge and forecasts, FCC provides solid insights and expertise to help those in the business of agriculture achieve their goals. For more information and insights, visit .

Lausanne, Switzerland, 24 March, 2026: Tetra Pak has won the Microsoft Intelligent Manufacturing Award (MIMA) 2026 in the Scale! category for its next-generation automation and digital portfolio, Tetra Pak® Factory OS™. The Scale! award recognises intelligent industrial solutions leading the way in the breadth of value chains, clients or internal processes they impact, across different levels of maturity.

Tetra Pak® Factory OS™ is a suite of modular, open and scalable smart factory technologies designed for food and beverage production. By unifying automation, data and analytics into a consistent, factory wide operating environment, it connects equipment regardless of age or supplier, transforming fragmented factory data into a unified, contextualised, real-time view.

The judges recognised Tetra Pak® Factory OS™ for its ability to help food and beverage producers expand output, introduce new products more quickly and reduce production costs in an increasingly challenging geopolitical and economic environment. As rising food prices and input costs place pressure on food producers, the platform enables food and beverage producers to improve efficiency and strengthen operational resilience while safeguarding product quality.

Deployable across sites with varying levels of digital maturity, Tetra Pak® Factory OS™ strengthens operational performance, accelerates digital transformation at scale and opens new growth opportunities by bringing coherence, repeatability and intelligence to end to end factory operations. Built with security-by-design and layered defences to protect operations and data amid today’s heightened geopolitical cyber risk, it provides an AI-ready foundation that turns real-time data into contextualised insights for faster, smarter decisions.

Sean Sims, Vice President, Automation & Solutions at Tetra Pak, comments:

“Food and beverage producers are under increasing pressure to deliver more, with fewer resources, while also remaining competitive in uncertain markets. This award recognises the real-world impact of advanced industrial automation making factory data usable and actionable at scale. With Tetra Pak® Factory OS™, food and beverage producers can turn complexity into clarity, continuously improve performance and build a digital foundation that is ready for the next wave of AI-driven manufacturing.”

The Microsoft Intelligent Manufacturing Award (MIMA) recognises innovative industrial solutions that drive measurable impact through intelligent manufacturing technologies. Granted by Microsoft and Roland Berger, the award followed a competitive evaluation process. Tetra Pak was shortlisted and presented its solution to an independent jury before being named winner in the Scale! category. Tetra Pak® Factory OS™ will be formally recognised at Hannover Messe on 22 April 2026.

Find out more about Tetra Pak® Factory OS™ here.

Kraft Heinz Canada says it’s going to spend $250 million on its factory in Montreal to increase homegrown manufacturing and production of its brands.

According to Simon Laroche, president of Kraft Heinz Canada, these investments, allows the company to keep all the production for the Canadian market in Canada.

For example, he said 90 per cent of the Heinz ketchup sold in Canada is made in the country — and made from Canadian tomatoes, mostly from Leamington, Ont. — but the company has to import from the United States to satisfy demand during peaks in the summer.

With the new investment, Laroche said the company will be able to make “100 or 99-point-something” per cent of the ketchup needed in Canada in the next two to five years.

“Canadians love products made in Canada,” Laroche said. “The more we can make in Canada from our Canadian factory, that’s always a more efficient way to do it, and Canadian consumers love that.”

Kraft Heinz Canada said the funds will be used for upgrading and modernizing the Mount Royal facility, which employs more than half of the company’s 2,000 employees in Canada. The facility, which houses the Canadian subsidiary’s main operations, produces brands such as Kraft Dinner, Philadelphia Cream Cheese and Kraft Peanut Butter.

Laroche said the factory is the company’s most complex in the world and has 41 different lines.

Laroche said there are also logistic costs when importing products and U.S. factories have other markets to support, making it more complicated to get what Canadians need.

He also said U.S. tariffs and the growing sentiment to buy Canadian had the company come up with campaigns and commercials to show its products were produced here.

“A lot of Canadians thought that our products were being imported and people didn’t know that 75 per cent of what we sell in Canada is made in Canada,” he said.