Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

The CFFO Commentary: Helping our Consumers to Choose Ontario Food

By Henry Stevens
January 7, 2011

Canada has some strict rules regarding truth in advertising. Advertisers are expected to tell the truth about their products and refrain from misleading the buying public. There are consequences for failing to do so. That leads to several questions about whether labels, and the information they contain, should qualify as advertisements. I would argue that labels and advertisements should be held to the same standard regarding accuracy and truthfulness. And I believe that’s particularly important for identifying where food is grown.

Canadian consumers have the right to expect the complete truth about what they are buying. We should not be misled as to what certain labeling phrases actually mean. Canadians need to understand that phrases such as “processed for ….” or “packaged for…” say absolutely nothing about the origin of the raw ingredients of the product on the shelf. Such labels should raise a red flag for us. These labels usually suggest to me that the main ingredients are not Canadian grown.

Of course, there is room for watering down certain requirements on Canadian content. But if we use that approach, we need to be truthful with consumers about that fact. For example, products containing pineapples or certain spices which are not produced in Canada need to be clearly identified as such. Still, setting reasonable targets of at least 80 to 85 per cent home-grown food on products carrying the “Product of Canada” label make sense.

What should we do? The CFFO has written a letter to the editor of the major daily newspapers, as well as the many weekly papers in Ontario. We urge Ontario consumers to ask many questions regarding product labels on supermarket shelves. If they are not satisfied with the available information on the labels, they need to let their retailers and politicians know.

At the recent “Farmers Matter” event in Stratford, the message that we need clearer labeling rules in Canada was repeated over and over. Many other jurisdictions around the world find ways to differentiate their home grown products, regardless of so-called trade threats. The Foodland Ontario label, used extensively by Ontario’s fruit and vegetable growers, is an example of a label carrying consumer confidence. We should expand it to include all Ontario grown products. It would eliminate the confusion currently in the marketplace and tell consumers they can buy with confidence, knowing they are buying top quality, Ontario grown foods, for themselves and their families.

So what is in a label? It can contain next to nothing regarding useful information, or it can be comprehensive and give us everything we need to know. Consumers should demand the latter, because we deserve it.



Henry Stevens is the President of the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario. The CFFO Commentary represents the opinions of the writer and does not necessarily represent CFFO policy. The CFFO Commentary is heard weekly on CFCO Chatham, CKNX Wingham, Ontario and is archived on the CFFO website: www.christianfarmers.org. CFFO is supported by 4,200 family farmers across Ontario.

Views: 25

Comment

You need to be a member of Ontario Agriculture to add comments!

Join Ontario Agriculture

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

John Deere Launches the New V452M Round Baler, Built for Productivity

John Deere (NYSE: DE) today announced the introduction of the V452M round baler to the North American lineup, providing enhanced productivity and precision to larger-scale hay and forage operations. The V452M headlines the newly updated lineup of VR and CR round baler models, introducing a new naming convention and advanced features purpose-built for heavy crop and silage conditions, while the current 1 Series round balers remain and continue to serve customers with their baling needs. "The V452M and the broader VR and CR model updates are designed for more density, more productivity and more actionable data," said Kaylene Ballesteros, John Deere marketing manager. "This update enhances our variable chamber and combination balers with features that support high-volume silage and heavy crop conditions, while complementing the proven performance of our 1 Series models. It's about giving our farmers and ranchers the right tool for their operation, whether they're baling 500 or 5,000 bale

John Deere Expands Operations Center Experience with New Customer E-Commerce Capabilities

John Deere Operations Center™ is now integrated with Shop.Deere.com enabling simplified parts ordering. Customers with factory maintenance plans can add parts for scheduled services directly to their cart and complete purchases. Customers and their approved John Deere dealers or independent service providers can jointly monitor and manage maintenance plans and parts ordering to help maximize uptime. Enhancing on-the-job convenience and expanding customer accessibility to machine data, John Deere unveils new user capabilities within John Deere Operations Center™. Customers utilizing Operations Center can now benefit from streamlined parts ordering through the newly integrated Shop.Deere.com feature. Customers with factory maintenance plans can add parts for scheduled services directly to their cart and complete purchases with confidence and ease. "We are continuously evolving John Deere Operations Center to simplify and enhance our customers' digital experience," said Katie Voelliger,

Tips and Tools to Make CBAM Emissions Reporting Easier

After a two-year transition period, full implementation of the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is set to begin on Jan. 1, 2026.   Designed to support the EU’s decarbonization goals, CBAM functions as a tariff placed on carbon emitted during the production of specific carbon intensive goods entering the EU single market, including aluminum, iron, and steel. This carbon tax requires companies to gather detailed supply chain information to determine the direct and indirect emissions associated with their products.  “CBAM charges a tariff on the embedded carbon content of certain imports from non-EU countries,” explained Amy Ryu, head of product at Tracera, an AI-powered sustainability data collection platform. This tariff is designed to counter the risk of “carbon leakage” that results from EU companies importing carbon intensive raw materials from abroad, as opposed to buying them from companies in the EU that must pay a carbon price. To that end, CBAM seeks

AEM Offers Recently Updated Industrial Ag Mower Safety Manual

AEM recently updated its Industrial Ag Mower Safety Manual in accordance with the association’s longstanding mission to provide up-to-date and industry-consensus safety materials that encourage safe equipment operation.  New updates include the use of pictorials from AEM’s Pictorial Database, modern formatting, and additional information on safe operation and maintenance. Its easy-to-follow pictorials and clearly stated safety warnings will help ensure operators understand the equipment's operation, capacity, mechanisms, maintenance, and intended uses.  “AEM member companies and their product safety experts play a crucial role in ensuring our manuals and safety materials represent best practices for safe equipment operation,” said AEM Safety Materials Manager Becca Basten.?“The Industrial Ag Mower Safety Manual is a longstanding safety resource for the operation of ag mowers, and it serves as a valuable resource for strengthening safety and training programs.”  The Industrial Ag Mow

Setting Foundations for Higher Yielding Soybeans

Timely planting, strong roots, balanced fertility, and disease control can help farmers boost soybean yields while keeping operations profitable and sustainable.

© 2025   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service