Reflections from the CAPI 2025 Panel on Navigating Market and Consumer Expectations
Canadian Food Focus was honoured to take part in the panel discussion, “Navigating Market and Consumer Expectations” at CAPI’s 2025 conference, Canadian Agri-Food in a Risky World. This event brought together an outstanding panel of sector leaders: Raymond Daniels (Sustainability Market Development Manager, BASF), Dr. Kumaraswamy Ponnambalam (Professor, Systems Design Engineering, University of Waterloo), Darcy Herauf (Senior Director, AgExpert Product, Customer & Sales, Farm Credit Canada), and our very own Dorothy Long (Managing Director, Canadian Food Focus). The discussion was moderated by Amanda Richardson (Interim Executive Director, Centre for Agri-Food Benchmarking).
As consumer and market expectations around sustainability, transparency, and environmental responsibility grow, so do the risks and opportunities facing Canadian agri-food. This session focused on strategies for building and maintaining public trust and on how the sector can communicate proactively, not just reactively, to an increasingly complex marketplace.
Consumers are demanding increased environmental responsibility, transparency and regulatory scrutiny while being simultaneously wary of greenwashing. How can the ag sector stay ahead while building trust with consumers?
“We see Canadian Food Focus as an organization that is mitigating the risk, that is being proactive in gathering the questions that consumers have and finding the answers for them. The content we develop is science-based, developed by experts, and addresses misinformation—but most importantly, resonates with consumers by being approachable and relevant to them,” Long told the audience. “We really believe that empowering people with information helps them not only make good decisions for themselves, but for also the ag sector.”
This theme of more open, meaningful conversation was also highlighted by Tracey Brown, OBE, Director at Sense About Science, in her keynote, “A Vision for a Better Conversation.” She challenged attendees to foster dialogue that moves beyond polarization toward constructive solutions for Canadian agri-food.
The conference also offered a hands-on workshop, “How to Communicate Risk and Uncertainty Effectively,” led by Leonor Sierra (Associate, Sense About Science; Project Lead, Risk Know-How Project). This session equipped delegates with clear communication tools to address risk and uncertainty, reinforcing the importance of clarity and transparency at every level of the food system.
Canadian Food Focus’s participation underscored the sector’s commitment to active leadership—engaging Canadians with trustworthy information, fostering collaboration, and prioritizing transparency. As a sector, we are stronger when we work together to meet and exceed public expectations, and this panel is an inspiring step forward to champion Canadian agriculture’s role as an innovative, trusted partner in an ever-riskier world.
Penny Eaton
Managing Director, Stakeholder Relations, Canadian Food Focus
Penny Eaton is a farm girl turned communications specialist who works to answer consumer questions about farming and food production. Penny manages stakeholder relations, coordinates events and communications projects and oversees funding requests and reporting.
Before joining our team, Penny established her own consulting firm, providing writing and communications services to a wide base of clients. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Saskatchewan and is originally from a farm near Rosetown, Saskatchewan. She’s a proud Riders fan and probably takes Halloween a little too seriously.
Promoting Canadian-Grown Cherries