Inviting Dietitians Into Canadian Agriculture
At a glance:
- Partners: CropLife Canada, Cereals Canada, Hello Canola, Canadian Food Focus
- Event: Grow Canada Conference, December 2025
- Who: 9 registered dietitians and food professionals
- Why it matters: Connected health professionals directly with crop and innovation leaders so they can confidently answer their clients’ questions about Canadian food and farming.
The opportunity
Dietitians are among the most trusted voices Canadians turn to for food and nutrition advice, yet many have limited exposure to modern crop production, plant science and on‑the‑ground sustainability practices. At the same time, agriculture needs credible messengers who can translate complex topics like pesticides, biotechnology and soil health into practical guidance that resonates in clinics, classrooms and community programs. Grow Canada 2025 created an ideal setting to close that gap.
What we did
Canadian Food Focus partnered with CropLife Canada, Cereals Canada and Hello Canola to sponsor and host a group of 9 registered dietitians/food influencers at the Grow Canada Conference.
Impact in Action
The partnership delivered value on several levels:
- Deeper understanding: Dietitians left with clearer, evidence‑based answers on topics like plant science, crop protection and how innovation supports food security and affordability.
- Extended reach: Each participating dietitian brought back stories, insights and resources they can now share with thousands of Canadians through their practices, media work and social channels.
- Stronger relationships: The event strengthened ties between health professionals and sector partners like CropLife Canada and Cereals Canada, positioning Canadian Food Focus as a neutral, convening platform that understands both audiences.
- Stakeholders benefit because their support enables exactly this type of high‑trust, high‑leverage engagement—meeting Canadians where they already look for advice and equipping those advisors with credible, Canadian agriculture content.
How we’ll build on this
The Grow Canada model is one we can replicate across other industry events—bringing carefully selected influencers and professionals into agricultural spaces, then translating those experiences into content for Canadians. Opportunities include:
- Expanding the influencer mix to chefs, Indigenous food leaders and other influencers.
- Collectively provide further education opportunities to these influencers such as webinars, Cereals Canada’s Wheat Retreat, CropLife’s research tour and CFF’s farm tours to further solidify their agriculture knowledge.
- Partner with these influencer attendees to create content for Canadian Food Focus.
For stakeholders, these case studies show how collective investment in Canadian Food Focus turns conferences and partnerships into measurable gains in public trust and food literacy.
Dorothy Long
Home Economist and Managing Director, Canadian Food Focus
Dorothy Long is a passionate advocate for Canadian food and farming with over 25 years of experience connecting consumers to agriculture. A Saskatchewan farm girl turned home economist, Dorothy has developed national agrifood marketing campaigns, organized farm tours for food influencers, served as the Executive Director of Cuisine Canada and co-authored the Discover the Pulse Potential cookbook. As Managing Director of Canadian Food Focus, she leads efforts to improve food literacy and public trust in Canadian agriculture and food. In 2023, Dorothy was inducted into the Saskatchewan Agriculture Hall of Fame for her contributions to the industry.
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