The 2022 CCFI Public Trust Research Report showed that while Canadians are not extremely trusting of media as a source of information about Canada’s food system, this was influenced by the type of media and age of the user.

Public trust in Canada’s food system comes off pandemic high

Cost of living and other factors drive a return to pre-2020 consumer perceptions

After a pandemic-induced boost, the latest public trust report from the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity indicates Canadians’ faith in the food system has fallen back to general historical trends.  As the 2022 CCFI Public Trust Research Report describes, 24 per cent of survey respondents believe the food system is headed in the wrong direction, […] Read more

Content created by farmers benefits the agricultural industry, and its value should be more widely recognized by organizations making outreach efforts, and do a better job of enabling more people to engage from a grassroots level, says Andrew Campbell.

Making public outreach more effective

Instagram is one thing; multi-layered experiences are another

Although the digital age we live in has a plethora of ways to reach an audience, ensuring a message has genuine impact amid the noise of so many media channels is a tall order. For agriculture and science communication, at least, busting through the noise can be achieved by delivering more developed, multi-layered experiences.  That’s […] Read more

Christina Crowley-Arklie

Consumer relations could shape the future of agriculture and food

What is the biggest challenge facing Canadian agriculture? Will the sector play a role in creating the future or be forced to react to one that’s built by others? What will food of the future look like? These are the big-picture questions that Christina Crowley-Arklie believes agricultural groups should discuss. She thinks the Canadian agriculture […] Read more


(Lovelyshot/iStock/Getty Images)

Quebec group seeks to sue beef packers over pricing

Group's class-action application alleges price-fixing dating back to 2015

A Quebec consumer protection group intends to launch a class action lawsuit against four major beef processors in Canada and the U.S., alleging a “meat pricing conspiracy.” “At a time of high inflation, it is unacceptable to make the price of beef even more expensive than it already is,” Sylvie De Bellefeuille, a lawyer for […] Read more


If someone is emotionally or morally opposed to eating meat or broccoli, farmer influence or educational tactics aren’t going to change that.

Editorial: Marketing vs. educating consumers

It’s annual meeting season, and one of the highlights for me are the updates on marketing efforts and consumer outreach.  I’ve attended numerous annual meetings for commodity organizations in Ontario and Canada, and I’m amazed at the exciting and creative approaches some organizations take to reach consumers.  Highlighting the farmer or farmers who produce agricultural […] Read more

People have more choice but they also want to “know more about what’s in their food and how it’s produced,” said Jacques Lefebvre, chief executive officer of the Dairy Farmers of Canada.

Dairy farmers struggle for consumer loyalty

Producers told to come to grips with milk alternatives and increased production scrutiny

Glacier FarmMedia – Canada’s dairy producers no longer enjoy a privileged relationship with consumers whose support is unquestioned, says an industry leader. People have a wider range of choices but they also want to “know more about what’s in their food and how it’s produced,” said Jacques Lefebvre, chief executive officer of the Dairy Farmers […] Read more



Report authors note that for the first time, climate change has made the top five list of consumer issues with the food system, and the proportion of Canadian consumers who believe that Canada’s food system is headed in the right direction has significantly declined compared to 2020.

Climate anxieties shape consumer demands

Agriculture and food sector faces “new reality,” according to food marketing firm Nourish

Failure to act on the climate and personal health anxieties of Canadians could be a “brand breaker” for businesses in the farm and food sector, according to the 2022 consumer trend report from Nourish Food Marketing. Its authors argue that the coming year will see competing generational perspectives and shifting preferences in a post-pandemic reality. […] Read more

(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