More than 80 delegates from around the world gathered in Ottawa, Canada, from 21–24 June 2026 for the GAPFA Technical Congress and associated meetings, reinforcing the event’s position as a leading international forum for scientific, technical and regulatory collaboration in the global petfood sector.
Hosted by the Pet Food Association of Canada (PFAC), this year’s Congress was held under the theme, The Future of Pet Food: Mastering Disruption and Defining Global Success. The event brought together representatives from petfood associations, industry, government, academia and international organisations.
Over three days, delegates explored the opportunities and challenges shaping the future of the sector, including international trade, companion animal health, nutrition, sustainability, innovation and evolving regulatory frameworks. Speakers represented organisations including the World Trade Organization (WTO), the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), Health for Animals, leading universities and the global petfood industry.
Alongside the Technical Congress, GAPFA’s Board of Directors, General Assembly and technical Workstreams met throughout the week to review progress, agree priorities and strengthen collaboration across the Alliance’s global membership.
Key outcomes of the meetings included the election of GAPFA’s new Board of Directors and Officers, including incoming President Florian Wastl, and the confirmation of Workstream Co-Chairs for the Food Safety & Trade Facilitation, Nutrition and Communications Workstreams.
Delegates also agreed priorities for continued engagement with international partners, including advancing science-based approaches to petfood safety, nutrition and international trade. The meetings further recognised the importance of global collaboration in addressing emerging challenges and opportunities across the petfood sector.
The inaugural GAPFA Distinguished Service Award was presented to Fausto Fiorini in recognition of his leadership and longstanding contribution to advancing the Alliance’s global food safety and trade facilitation work.
It was also announced that the 2027 GAPFA Technical Congress will be held in Liverpool, United Kingdom, from 13–16 June 2027.
Reflecting on the event, outgoing GAPFA President Loretta Hunter said: “This year’s Congress demonstrated the strength of the global petfood community and the value of bringing together experts from across industry, government and international organisations. The quality of the discussions, the willingness to collaborate and the breadth of expertise shared throughout the week were truly exceptional. I would like to thank our host, PFAC, our outstanding speakers, sponsors and every delegate who contributed to making the Congress such a success.”
Chris Nash, Executive Director of the Pet Food Association of Canada (PFAC) and incoming GAPFA Vice President for Member Associations, added: “It was a pleasure to welcome colleagues from around the world to Ottawa for the 2026 GAPFA Technical Congress. Our goal was to create an event that was informative, engaging and memorable, bringing together world-class speakers and fostering meaningful discussion on the issues shaping our industry. On behalf of PFAC, I would like to thank GAPFA for the opportunity to host the Congress, as well as all of our speakers, sponsors and delegates for helping make the event such a success.”
GAPFA also thanked the Pet Food Association of Canada (PFAC) for hosting the Congress, along with the speakers, sponsors, partners and delegates whose contributions helped make the event a success.
The Alliance will next welcome the global petfood community to the 2027 GAPFA Technical Congress in Liverpool, United Kingdom, from 13–16 June 2027.
