Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

Positive perceptions of Canadian farming on the rise, survey shows

 

For immediate release

Guelph ON, December 15, 2010 - Canada’s love affair with food and farming is intensifying, a new survey shows. According to results from an online study by Ipsos Reid, more than half – 57 percent – of Canadians surveyed have a positive impression of agriculture in this country, a figure that has risen 16 per cent since the survey was first conducted four years ago. In 2006, only 41 per cent of Canadians had a positive impression of Canadian agriculture and 52 per cent reported a positive impression in 2009.

“Canadian farmers work hard to produce quality food, protect the environment and care for their animals,” says Crystal Mackay, Executive Director of the Ontario Farm Animal Council and AGCare, which commissioned the study. “Farmers have really been going the extra mile to open their proverbial barn doors these past few years to talk about what they do and why. These poll results reflect those efforts and demonstrates that the Canadian public appreciates having conversations with the people who grow their food.”

Although nearly all provinces showed an increase in the overall positive impression of Canadian agriculture, the strongest gains were found in Ontario. Positive perceptions in this province jumped 10 per cent from 56 per cent in 2009 to 66 per cent in 2010. Only nine per cent of Ontarians reported a negative image of Canadian farming in 2010, compared to 21 per cent in 2006. Interest and investment in farm tours, farmers markets and agricultural awareness and education efforts is also at an all time high in Ontario.

“To know that the majority of Canadians trust us and think that we’re doing a good job producing food is a great honour,” says Stewart Skinner, a young hog farmer from Listowel, in South Western Ontario. “We know we’re doing our best to protect the environment and produce healthy and safe food and these results are very inspiring.”

The survey also showed that farmers enjoy a high rate of public credibility on issues related to food and farming, such as animal welfare. Ranked second only to veterinarians, farmers jumped eight points to 67 per cent from 59 per cent a year earlier.

“Farmers have always been credible and trusted spokespeople about food and farming as they’re the ones directly involved with raising animals and growing crops every day,” says Mackay. “This study shows there’s a real opportunity for farmers to keep the open and honest dialogue going about how their food is grown with everyone who eats, so we can continue to build that sense of trust and pride in Canadian farming.”

The survey was conducted as part of the Ipsos Reid Online Express Omnibus with Canadians aged 18 and over from November 26th to November 28th, 2010. Results are considered to be representative of the Canadian population. For more information on food and farming in Canada, read “Real Dirt on Farming II” at www.ofac.org or tour a farm without putting your boots on at www.virtualfarmtours.ca .

The Ontario Farm Animal Council represents 40,000 Ontario livestock and poultry farmers, associations and businesses on issues in animal agriculture and AGCare is the voice of Ontario’s field crop, horticulture and greenhouse farmers on environmental issues.

-30-
For more information:

Crystal Mackay, Executive Director, 519-837-1326 (office)
Email: cmackay@ofac.org

Views: 177

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

I really don't think the average person in Toronto thinks about farming.

What about the ethnic and new immigrant communities which are growing in the cities....they have no frame of reference.

Other than the milk and eggs boards, I don't see much information flow to the consumer.

I doubt they have an opinion, good or bad about farmers and agriculture and it is our own fault.

I don't think people in the city think or care about farming.

 

I talked to some friends over Christmas....they like farmers but don't really want to pay more for food.

 

Has anyone else asked for opinions.

A non-farming friend of mine doesn't like the cost of farm programs but has no objection to his very young, single daughter with 2 kids taking advantage of all the social assistance programs available. 

 

Huh?

Actually I've found that new immigrants have much more interest in agriculture than 2nd or more generation. A lot of them have been hungry at some time in their home country, and/or a lot of them had a closer connection to the farm at home than they do now.

Roadrunner said:

I really don't think the average person in Toronto thinks about farming.

What about the ethnic and new immigrant communities which are growing in the cities....they have no frame of reference.

Other than the milk and eggs boards, I don't see much information flow to the consumer.

I doubt they have an opinion, good or bad about farmers and agriculture and it is our own fault.

Reply to Discussion

RSS

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Tariffs, Tension, and Trade: -- Why Grains Are Outpacing Stocks

Strong exports in corn have traded with resilience.

Farmers Weigh In on 2025 Leaders Debate

Users on Agriville.com saw Poilievre as the debate's strongest performer, criticized Carney’s focus on Trump, questioned media bias, and called for greater attention to Western Canadian concerns.

What’s the Value of Understanding Disease Prevalence in Your Herd?

A robust vaccination protocol at the sow and finisher levels greatly contributed to a low prevalence of Lawsonia intracellularis (Li), according to the results of a recent study led by Hannah Walker, a student in the Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine at Oregon State University. She participated in the Swine Veterinary Internship Program last summer and conducted a Li surveillance study with her host farm Country View Family Farms and sponsor Pharmgate Animal Health. She also developed a sampling method. “Li is the organism that causes the disease known as ileitis or proliferative enteropathy,” she said during the 2025 American Association of Swine Veterinarians annual meeting. “This is an endemic disease across many systems and can be a contributor to poor growth and poor feed efficiency, thus affecting a producer’s bottom line.” She presented the results of her study in a poster competition at AASV titled, “Developing a Lawsonia intracellularis surveillance program to define p

Back to Basics: Feeder Management

At the most basic level, it is often said that pigs need three things to grow: good food, good water and good air. The swine industry spends a great deal of input resources and effort on producing feedstuffs, precisely formulating diets based on stage of production and available ingredients, and processing and transporting those finalized diets to the correct pigs at the correct time. In fact, research by Iowa State University shows 60% to 70% of the total cost to raise a weaned pig to market weight is attributed to feed costs, highlighting the importance of feed in the overall productivity equation. A 2015 study by National Pork Board showed an estimated 70% of the energy needed to produce a market weight pig was used for production and transportation of feed. Many efforts are focused on reducing feed costs via custom formulations, additives and optimized transportation, but management of the feed after it arrives in the finishing barn can also have an impact on feed efficiency and

Protect Our Legacy Through Transparency and Advocacy

As the fifth generation on our Ohio family farm – paving the way for the sixth and seventh generations – I can attest to how much our business has changed over the years. Across the industry, we have embraced advancements and science-based best practices that have helped us produce safe, high-quality pork in ways that are better for the animals we care for, as well as for our people and the planet. I’m proud of how we raise pigs today. However, increased activism has forced us to play defense. I firmly believe we are on the right side of these issues, so I’ve always strived to meet them head-on. In fact, I have welcomed thousands of visitors to my farm, including policymakers and nonfarming audiences, to provide a firsthand view of the realities of pork production. As a result, we’ve successfully changed misperceptions about how our animals are cared for, how our land is utilized, and how modern farms operate. As president of the National Pork Producers Council, I am bringing that sa

© 2025   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service