Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

The CFFO Commentary: The Canada Brand gets extended to the Domestic Market

By Nathan Stevens
May 25, 2012
 
Proponents of Canadian food for Canadians got a boost last week as the Federal Government announced that the Canada Brand has been expanded to include a domestic component. This is a positive step forward in market-oriented ways to enhance farmer’s opportunities both domestically and abroad.
 
The Canada Brand has been in existence for a number of years promoting the positive qualities of food produced in Canada in foreign markets. For example, Canada Brand has put considerable effort into promoting high value pork cuts in Japan. Extending the Canada Brand into the domestic market recognizes that the domestic market plays a key role in the viability of the agri-food sector.
 
Although the domestic portion of the Canada Brand is currently a relatively small program, with only 65 stores currently enrolled in the program, it is a start. This is the follow-up to a 2011 pilot program conducted in Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario and British Columbia that sought to clearly identified Canadian products in a select group of stores. The program used shelf displays, brochures and other printed products, with the goal of increasing consumer awareness about Canadian food options on store shelves.
 
The results of the initiative showed that sales of Canadian food products went up significantly when clearly advertised. This key result adds new proof regarding Canadian consumer preferences towards clearly identified Canadian food. While this doesn’t mean that they will necessarily pay more for Canadian food, when given a choice, many prefer the Canadian option.
 
It is encouraging that our federal government is choosing to support initiatives that are domestically oriented as well as pursuing trade opportunities aggressively. Time will tell if additional Canadian grocery stores will choose to pursue this opportunity in the future. Canada’s agri-food industry should be sure to balance the importance of taking care of the domestic market while looking farther beyond our borders for new opportunities.


 

Nathan Stevens is the Interim Manager and Director of Policy Development for 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, and UCB Canada radio stations in Chatham, Belleville, Bancroft, Brockville and Kingston and in Brantford and Woodstock. It is also found on the CFFO website:www.christianfarmers.org. CFFO is supported by 4,200 family farmers across Ontario.

Views: 55

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

Pulse Market Insight #289

Big Risks Dampen Price Signals for 2026 Crop This is the time of year when new-crop bids for pulses usually start showing up, but not always. It’s not just the actual price that signals how urgently buyers are looking to lock in acres; the timing of new-crop bids is also an indicator. For example, I recall years when new-crop bids for peas or lentils already started to show up in October, almost a year before the next crop is harvested. That happened when pea and lentil supplies were very short and importers wanted to ensure they would have access to next year’s crops. In general though, the first new-crop bids are often seen in late December or early January. One rule of thumb some people use is the Saskatoon Crop Production Show in mid-January as the “real start” of the contracting season. But this year, it seems that new-crop bids are even scarcer than usual, with a few possible reasons. The first is that overseas buyers aren’t very concerned about locking in next year’s supplie

CN Marks Record December, Annual Grain Movement

Canadian National Railway set a new benchmark for grain movement in December, capping off a record-breaking year. The railway said Friday it moved more than 2.82 million tonnes of grain from Western Canada in December, marking its fourth consecutive monthly record and surpassing the previous December high set in 2020 by more than 80,000 tonnes. The strong December performance also helped CN establish a new annual record for grain shipments in 2025. In Western Canada alone, CN moved over 31.3 million tonnes of grain during the year, exceeding the previous record of 30.9 million set in 2020. Across all of Canada, total grain volumes across CN’s network reached more than 32.7 million tonnes, breaking the prior record of 32.25 million established in 2024. CN attributed the record volumes to a combination of large Canadian grain crops and steady execution throughout the supply chain. Janet Drysdale, CN’s executive vice-president and chief commercial officer, said consistent operat

ROI announces the Community Well-being Dashboard in Ontario’s two official languages

The Rural Ontario Institute (ROI) is pleased to announce the Rural Community Well-Being Dashboard and supporting factsheets will be made available in Ontario’s two official languages in the spring of 2026.

Chicago Close: Little Changed in Pre-Report Positioning

Corn, wheat, and soybean futures were little changed on Thursday as traders continued to position ahead of key USDA reports to be released on Monday. 

GFO Rejoins Grain Growers of Canada

Almost six years after parting ways, Grain Farmers of Ontario has rejoined Grain Growers of Canada, marking a renewed push for a more unified national voice as Canada’s grain sector navigates mounting economic and policy pressures. 

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service