Building Champions for Canadian Grown Food and Agriculture

Fostering champions and advocates among dietitians, chefs, and food writers to speak on behalf of Canadian-grown food and agriculture is crucial. One effective method to achieve this is through farm tours, which provide these professionals with firsthand farm experiences and a deeper understanding of agricultural practices.

Building awareness and trust in food and farming is a challenging task. Urban consumers often encounter documentaries that criticize some farming practices and depict large farms with extensive equipment and numerous animals negatively. Such portrayals can create distrust and promote misinformation, as many urban Canadians do not have the opportunity to experience farming in their daily lives. This can lead to misconceptions about where their food comes from.

There is a significant gap in knowledge about food production in Canada. Many Canadians are now several generations removed from a direct connection to farming or ranching. This knowledge gap results in misinformation and misunderstandings, affecting policy-making, consumer advice, and even education. Consequently, frustration arises within the farming community when policies seem illogical or misinformed statements spread.

Canadian Food Focus addresses this gap by organizing annual on-farm tours for professionals across the country. Participants range from dietitians and educators to bloggers, TV personalities, chefs, and policymakers. These tours foster open, honest, and transparent discussions, encouraging participants to ask any questions they might have. Listening to these professionals’ concerns also helps Canadian Food Focus staff to identify and address key issues.

Some common concerns include:

• “What are the environmental impacts of food production?” – Food blogger
• “Is animal agriculture sustainable at the rate that the world is consuming animal products?” – Dietitian
• “How are farms thinking about food waste, dealing with food waste, and planning for the future with no food waste?” – Chef

These concerns often highlight sustainability in food production. Through these tours, participants visit farms and ranches, speak directly with farming families, and witness generational farming practices. These interactions lead to many ‘aha’ moments, where participants gain new insights and understanding, enhancing their confidence when discussing food production with clients or followers.

Surveys show the effectiveness of these tours, with only 26% of participants feeling well-informed about farming practices before the tour, rising to 100% feeling well-informed afterward. Post-tour knowledge also increases significantly in areas such as pesticide use, genetic modification, and hormone or antibiotic use.

By educating food professionals one at a time, Canadian Food Focus is building a stronger understanding that agriculture strives for sustainability, thereby increasing awareness and trust in this vital industry.