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Do You Trust Your Food And Your Farmers?

A new non-profit organization opened its door, quietly, back in June. It’s aim is to build (and maintain) trust among Canadians consumers in the Canadian Food they buy the Farmers who grow it. Why the initiative? Polls say our trust in our Food is at an all-time low…

The Real Dirt - © farmfoodcaresk.orgThe first of many missives from the new CCFI – A propaganda crusade in support of
Canadian farmers, Food producers, processors, distributors and retailers.

The Canadian Centre for Food Integrity (CCFI) is a division of the Farm & Food Care Canada (FFCC), a charity that has been championing food and farming for some time, already.  And it appeared that the the crusade for Food and Farmers comes not a moment too soon.

The CCFI polled 2,500 Canadians earlier this year and found:

  • 21 per cent believe it’s on the wrong track.
  • Another 50 per cent are unsure about whether our food system is going in the right direction.

That means that well under 30 per cent of Canadians have any significant faith in their food production, processing, distribution and retail chain. That ain’t good!

Why?

I suspect that sky-rocketing prices for Meat – mainly Beef – and Produce have soured many Canadians on their food supply system. High prices have forced many of us to choose cheaper brands of the things we feel are necessities. Many have downgraded from Beef to Chicken, Pork and Fish which, while more expensive than they used to be, remain cheaper pound for pound / kilo for kilo, than Beef. They’re also higher-grade sources of protein and low in fat, but Beef lovers still consider them second-rate. Some of us have simply stopped buying things that aren’t essential. That’s cutting down on the variety in our diets which is so important to maintaining balanced nutrition and, by extension, our health and well being. No wonder people are losing faith in the food supply system!

So, what can CCFI do?

The CCFI is starting by gathering detailed information about consumer opinions, questions and concerns. Based on that, CCFI will roll pout a 5-point plan to put Canadians in closer touch with the realities of farming today; the costs and risks, the effects of the weather and vagaries of the commodity markets. They figure, the more you know and understand about Food production, the more you’ll accept, and maybe, in time, trust your food producers. So… It’s to be a propaganda program. We’ll see how well it works.

~ Maggie J.