BANFF, Alta. – Canada does not have a country-of-origin labelling law similar to what the United States has introduced, yet consumer surveys reveal strong loyalty to homegrown products.
Pork Marketing Canada has launched a series of print and television advertisements to encourage Canadians to choose more of the domestic product.
Program head Roy Kruse said the Choose Canadian campaign includes in-store labels to help consumers sort through imported products.
“Prior to this program, consumers didn’t know if the pork they were getting in the meat case was Canadian grown or imported,” Kruse said at the Banff Pork Seminar Jan. 22.
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Last year, Canada exported 9.1 million hogs and imported 193 million kilograms of pork, which represented 20 percent of Canadian consumption.
Given a choice, Canadians said they want domestic because they believe it is produced in a better environment and is a superior product.
Kruse said studies show 100 percent of pork sold at Costco warehouses is from the U.S., while Canada Safeway varies from province to province. Alberta Safeway offers about 80 percent Canadian pork while stores in Saskatchewan and Manitoba use 100 percent domestic product. Wal-Mart and Superstore sell 100 percent Canadian pork.
On-line surveys using Ipsos Forward Research confirmed Canadians prefer domestic meat, finding more interest in knowing the country of origin of meat than fruit and vegetables. Half of the survey respondents said they look for the country of origin when buying meat, although most believe the meat they are buying is homegrown.
“We believe the shift is there and we need to continue to market our product and label our product so the consumer can make the decision,” Kruse said.
Agriculture economist Ron Plain of the University of Missouri said most Americans have no problem with Canadian meat because they consider it a clean country.
