Are You Walking the Talk When Questioning How Farmers Produce Your Food?

The Director of the Center for Food Integrity said recently more than ever consumers are curious about how and where their food comes from and who it gets there.

My question before I get to her comments is how important it is to you where and who produces your food. For almost 52 years, I have re- ported, visited, discussed, and sometimes argued on behalf of farmers who put everything out and in the ground so you and I can have healthy, cost-effective food to eat daily. Yet, now we have governments and so-called food activists trying to tell farmers how to farm, what to grow and how to produce it. Despite many farmers, and in fact, most have done so over the years that makes others pale by comparison.

Farmers are first and foremost the best and most costeffective environmentalists on this planet. But, oh yes, we have those who travel the world telling others how not to farm but do it my way or the planet will collapse.

This federal government is collecting at least $8 billion a year in carbon taxes hoping against hope they can save the planet. But, unfortunately, they are so brilliant that they may even help other countries to do the same.

Ok, I digressed and yet maybe I didn’t.

“Trends and developments in consumer perceptions of modern pork production and implications for farmers,” was the topic of the keynote address at Manitoba Pork’s 2023 AGM.

Amy te Plate-Church, the director of the US-based Center for Food Integrity, told hog producer-farmers if you like, consumers are more curious today than ever about where we produce our food and the factors they consider when making purchasing decisions that are changing.

Historically, the big three factors are price, quality, health, and nutrition, which remains true today. But today, other factors are weighing into the consumers’ choices.

That includes convenience but it also includes the social considerations around food production.

“I trust that the animals that produced this food were well cared for. Are the farmers using environmentally friendly practices? Is this a good social and economic contribution,” said Amy te Plate-Church. “People today have so many sources of in- formation so we, as the food industry and farmers, need to be aware of where consumers are and more and more of that is online so social media, online influencers, websites, having our message in all of those places so consumers can find answers to the questions that they have when they have those answers.”

She said consumers depend highly on what they see on the packaging or in the store as they make that decision.

As far as trusted sources of information, farmers are highly trusted.

The public respects them for their hard work, so it’s important to share what they’re doing and why they’re doing what they do on the farm.

Te Plate-Church said north or south of the border, farmers are the salt of the earth and are working hard to produce food responsibly and ensure we have food for consumers worldwide.

Yes, I totally agree. My quest is and always will be what are those consumers that demand all these things from farmers doing personally to help save the planet and the environment? We have so many people, especially the higher-ups, who demand and speak a line but never seem to care about walking the talk or talking the walk. I know firsthand that most farmers do. And don’t you forget it!