As a consumer in this country and a female, I have despaired for years, about the attitude in agriculture over "what consumers really want". I was shot down time and time again by a mostly male dominated industry, who were convinced the only issue was price!!!!
But if any of them had taken the time to wade thought the confusion of misleading labels, the ridiculous "made in Canada" labelling guidelines, or try to find Canadian grown "anything" in food products, perhaps something would have happened sooner.
Our consumers represent a vast, untapped resource to support what agriculture is trying to do when it fights to save processing, ensure Canadian ingredients, save farm land, fruit farms, ensure Canadian ingredients in cheese or what-ever!
The Canadian Federation of Agriculture has finally taken some action on this issue. They commissioned a poll to find out what consumers would do or not do and what they wanted.
Some of the results:
95 per cent said they would buy Canadian products that are competitively priced and of equal or better quality to imported.
90 per cent felt Canadian agricultural products should always be easy to identify at the store.
83 per cent felt a branding system based on three criteria - grown in Canada, produced to high environmental and food safety standards, and providing a fair return to farmers – is a good or a very good concept.
46-50 per cent of consumers were willing to pay premiums for “labeled” fruits, vegetables, poultry, beef, pork and grain products.
Canadian processors are disappearing faster than you can say 'gone". We are losing 'pick your own' farms. If someone doesn't do something soon, even those of us who want to, will be hard pressed to find fresh, local, anything, without going to extra-ordinary means. Many time crunched consumers will be unable to afford the time to do this. I believe it has to be available in our grocery stores or we are lost.
Get going guys before it's too late for us all.
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