Another Ice Cream Story.....

Just recently, a friend, who happens to teach a grade four class was asking about milk, milk products and import export rules or activity in Canada. We discussed import rules, export products and the fact that milk protein concentrates and butter-oil & sugar blends were all allowed into the country without impunity and were put into Canadian products like ice cream and cheese, without disclosure on labels.

We had a look at some ice cream labels and I interpreted some of the ingredients for her. She was not happy about the imports entering into her food choices, without her knowledge. She also didn't like the fact that as much as she wanted to support Canadian farmers, there was no way for her to really know, where the ingredients in her products came from.

This discussion highlights a very large problem for Canadian consumers and farmers alike.

From a recent Léger Marketing telephone poll :

* 98% feel it is important that Canadians have access to a stable supply of made-in-Canada food;
* 95% of respondents agree that family farms are an important part of the economy for rural communities; and

* 83% agree that supply management is a better approach to ensuring a decent living for farmers than taxpayer-funded subsidies.

"These very strong results clearly show the kind of agriculture Canadians want in this country," said David Fuller, Chairman of Chicken Farmers of Canada. "Consumers from coast to coast want made-in-Canada food and a decent living for our farmers, without the need for taxpayer funded subsidies.

" Supply management works for our rural communities, it works for our dairy, poultry and egg farmers, and it works for consumers."

Canada's dairy, poultry and egg industries generate about $7 billion in farm cash receipts, sustain more than $39 billion of economic activity and employ hundreds of thousands of Canadians throughout the country.

The Léger Marketing telephone poll was commissioned by the five national organizations that represent Canada's dairy, poultry and egg farmers and was conducted between May 16 and 21, 2006. The results of the poll of 1,500 Canadians are considered accurate to within +/- 2.5%, 19 times out of 20.

Just how are consumers going to know if what they are buying is supporting Canadian farmers? Farmers, processors, retailers and the government have all been doing a very poor job of getting the word out. Obviously, if my friend is any indicator (and I think she is), trying to wade through the many confusing terms of a product label is not helping!

Consumers need help to figure this stuff out. If government won't do it, farmers better start thinking about it very hard. It's almost a sure bet retailers and processors won't.