(RoyalFair.org video screengrab via YouTube)

AgriCommunication plan to seek farmer-consumer dialogue

Ag exhibitions among expected beneficiaries

The federal government has put up new funding toward improving consumers’ awareness of the “strengths” of Canada’s ag sector — and to improve farmer awareness of what those consumers want and expect. Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau on Thursday announced an $8 million, three-year funding envelope for the first of two streams of what’s now called […] Read more

The pandemic has boosted interest in Canada’s food system, and beef industry stakeholders see an opportunity to build relationships with the non-farming public.

Food system transparency vital in post-pandemic world

Industry stakeholders see a window of opportunity to build public trust, but the industry must act before the public’s attention on food production wanes

The importance of transparency isn’t a new concept at Chop Steak­­house, but it’s certainly become amplified this year. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Canadian consumers were already asking more questions about food production, something Marcel Blais, president of Chop Steakhouse, anticipates will become more common. “We’ve always had really strong practices on food and safety; we’re […] Read more


New research by the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity will examine how COVID-19 has affected public trust.

Research finds Canadians want to learn about agriculture

Public Trust: Study by the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity shows gaps in consumer understanding of modern agricultural practices

The general public’s lack of agricultural knowledge is more widespread than likely imagined, according to a 2019 study. The study by the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity (CCFI) found that 91 per cent of Canadians feel they know little, very little or nothing about modern agricultural practices. However, this research also shows that 60 per […] Read more

A freighter is loaded with grain from a terminal at Vancouver’s Burrard Inlet. (Maxvis/iStock/Getty Images)

Grains sector backed to develop export rejection insurance

Code of practice for 'sustainable' crops also in works

The organization representing Canada’s crops sector will get public funding to develop an insurance plan against the “unpredictability” of export customers. Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau, speaking Wednesday at the CropConnect conference in Winnipeg, announced over $430,000 for the Canada Grains Council to develop a pilot insurance product for grain exporters. Such an insurance plan […] Read more


The long road to building public trust

The long road to building public trust

Insights into research by the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity

Spring is the time of year on farms when everything in the world seems right. What a reality check then to read in early June that Canadians aren’t sure today’s agriculture qualifies as farming, and half of Canadian consumers are unsure whether the Canadian food system is headed in the right direction. These are key […] Read more