Washington | Reuters — The U.S Federal Trade Commission voted Wednesday to make it a priority to address the issue of manufacturers pushing consumers to use licensed dealers to repair items ranging from smartphones to farm equipment, a practice that critics call anti-competitive. The five commissioners, three Democrats and two Republicans, voted unanimously to approve […] Read more
Tag Archives consumers — page 3
U.S. FTC votes to make ‘right to repair’ a priority
Commission also drops 1995 merger policy
Shifting consumer expectations could be a challenge post-COVID
The pandemic hit the fast-forward button on trends already in progress
The pandemic ushered in technological, social and economic change for most Canadians, but did it change trends? “(It’s) simply an acceleration of trends we were already seeing, it’s not going to fundamentally transform our world,” said David Coletto, Abacus Data CEO at the annual meeting of Farm and Food Care Ontario. “But, perhaps, fast-forward us […] Read more
Opportunities in a new food relationship
Not every pandemic-induced food trend will stick, but buying Canadian is one that should
The pace of change in Canada’s food system might have accelerated under pandemic pressure, but will alterations to our personal relationship to food really stick? In some ways yes, but likely not everything. According to a meta-analysis of purchasing trends grocers, farmers, and other purveyors will have to wrangle with a combination of new, lasting […] Read more
Opinion: It’s time for a livestock manifesto
All species groups need to work together to tackle big issues in a coordinated way
In his book The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell outlines how change can start small, and then creep imperceptibly toward a point beyond which everything changes. That is the tipping point. Anyone 60 years or older will recall, as a child, attending social functions where the air was blue with smoke. Attitudes toward smoking changed slowly […] Read more
Opinion: Agriculture needs a social contract with consumers
A conversation with consumers should be a reality for many agriculture markets
I had several interactions recently that raised the issue of trust or social licence for agriculture to me again. I continue to be struck by the fact that many in agriculture think that if we just tell the public how good we are, they will trust and like us and give us the “licence,” or […] Read more
New The Real Dirt on Farming available
Farm & Food Care officially unveiled the fifth edition of The Real Dirt on Farming, its flagship public-outreach publication, at its virtual Harvest Gala on Nov. 14. The Real Dirt on Farming is a nation-wide initiative designed to help Canadians connect with their food and the farmers that produce it – who they are, what […] Read more
Food system support soars
Response to COVID-19 food challenges built greater confidence among consumers
A new report says Canadians have more confidence than ever in the food system, but concerns remain over rising costs. In its 2020 Public Trust Research Report, Trends in Trust and the Path Forward, the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity reported that 47 per cent of those surveyed said they were confident in the overall […] Read more
CFIA to consult on new near-meat, non-meat guidelines
Clarity for labels, promotion, composition to be considered
“Greater clarity” in federal guidelines for the makeup and labels of “simulated” meat and poultry products is the end zone for a new round of consultations underway for the next month. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency on Tuesday announced the launch for the public consultation, which includes an online survey and runs until Dec. 3. […] Read more
Consumers look to healthy food post-COVID lockdown
Comfort, less healthy foods were popular early in the pandemic
Jane Dummer, a registered dietitian, says the pandemic has caused changes in Canadian eating habits. “If you had asked me in September, ‘would we have run out of baking needs, flour and toilet paper in a pandemic?’ I would have said no, especially because originally the pandemic, COVID-19, was really identified as only respiratory, and […] Read more
Food still top consumer concern
COVID-19 has only accelerated the desire to know where food is coming from
Glacier FarmMedia – Will Canadian farmers benefit from the ‘trust bump’ that’s been seen globally in the wake of COVID? The Canadian Centre for Food Integrity held a webinar recently to look at how to better earn public trust in food and farming, where the topic arose. Ashley Bruner, research co-ordinator for CCFI, said the […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
