It isn’t just in Canada, the United States and Europe that consumers are backing food trends critical of common farming practices.
The desire for foods that are “free” of various elements or produced in special ways is big in Mexico too.
“Much better if they are glyphosate-free, gluten-free or organic,” said Jorge Sanchez Lanzilotti, the chief financial officer of Grupo Vida International, a major global oats processor and marketer.
“They (consumers) are ready to pay extra prices in products that meet these … features.”
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Sanchez Lanzilotti was bullish on oat demand, saying it is increasing globally about four percent a year, and the crop fits perfectly into health-conscious diets.
But he underlined his belief that glyphosate traces must be kept out of oats.
“We must work strongly against the use of glyphosate and any other products that affect the consumer’s health,” said Sanchez Lanzilotti.
“We are in a time when the consumer is more and more mindful of taking care of themselves and their families and about what they eat.”Because of that, his company is skeptical of products “that don’t have benefits for the consumer.”
He encouraged farmers and the Canadian oat and grain industries to help develop crops that fit consumer trends now and in the future because they will only grow in strength.
“Together as a responsible industry we need to meet the volume needed of raw materials that demand these traits in the global market,” said Sanchez Lanzilotti.
