Western Canadian farmers need to do a better job of telling their own stories, an agrologist and exporter told the Canadian Association of Agri-Retailers convention in Saskatoon on Feb. 15.
Art Froehlich of AdFarm in Calgary said farmers have lost contact with consumers. Shoppers are now more likely to go to the local grocery store to get answers about the food they eat, he added.
“We’re having the retailer carrying our message to the consumer and perhaps it’s not the message we want given,” Froehlich said.
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He cited Growing Alberta as an example of a public awareness campaign that could be used elsewhere in Canada. It presents a unified message representing different food groups that promote the entire agricultural industry.
“So customers can say that’s who’s growing the food I’m eating,” said Froehlich, who also operates a grain and beef operation near Yorkton, Sask.
“We’ve got a strong message to tell and I think it has to come from those of us who grow it.”
Growing Alberta is a consortium of producer organizations, industry groups and government that talk about agriculture and food and how farmers’ produce it and create sustainable farm operations.
It also explores how intensive livestock operations create efficiencies and biosecure areas to produce food.
Froehlich said that’s not a message likely to be given by retailers, who are more concerned with surviving and increasing market share.
“If we don’t care about this industry, we can’t expect anybody else to.”
He told agri-retailers that consumers are preoccupied with a host of concerns that need to be addressed, including globalization, terrorism, energy, water, environment, food safety and human health.
Overseas, his export clients perceive Canada as a clean, pure, safe environment but still want specifics and assurances about how that is accomplished.
For the future, Froehlich said Canadian farmers will need to think about new markets and start to explore new crops and processed products.
He noted 90 percent of Canadian exports are commodities, citing the need to increase processed and value-added sectors. Froehlich suggested increasing sales of specialty oils and creating beverages and bakery products as opposed to simply growing the ingredients.
Mark Hryniuk of G and E Fertilizers at Prud’homme, Sask., who attended the CAAR convention, agreed with that message. He said Canada needs to look beyond shipping raw products to coastal terminals and start exploring non-food products like biodiesel.
“We’re shortchanging ourselves; we have so much potential here.”
Saskatchewan agriculture minister Mark Wartman told agri-retailers that Saskatchewan is well positioned to be a leader in a bio-economy, with a large capacity for agriculture and agricultural research.
“For every dollar invested in research and development, there is a return of $40 to the agricultural industry.”
He said investing in new information and techniques for farmers will increase their competitiveness and create new jobs in processing sectors.
