Farmers and farm groups need to get a stronger message out to the
public about farming practices and food safety, says a University of
Guelph professor.
Doug Powell told a Saskatchewan Soil Conservation Association meeting
in Regina that public perception and reality don’t always correspond.
He said the investigation into the water contamination that killed
seven people in Walkerton, Ont., determined that cattle did not cause
the E. coli outbreak.
“The farm was not at fault at all,” Powell said.”The fault is clearly
Read Also
Agriculture ministers agree to AgriStability changes
federal government proposed several months ago to increase the compensation rate from 80 to 90 per cent and double the maximum payment from $3 million to $6 million
somewhere else.”
But that’s not necessarily what the public believes.
He said he doesn’t blame media for that.
“I think they can only respond to people who are there to be quoted,”
Powell said.
“It’s probably more useful for farm groups like this to take stronger
steps to reach out and get their message out there.”
Lack of knowledge
He said consumers don’t know enough about their food.
When they are asked which food is safest, they rate natural and organic
food highest, followed by food from grocery stores.
At the bottom of the list is food that has been irradiated.
That list is probably exactly opposite of what is true, Powell said.
The debate over genetically modified food is another good example of
the difference between perception and reality, he added.
He referred to a survey that found 70 percent of Canadians thought
crops sprayed with pesticides had been genetically modified.
He said growers have to explain to the public what they are doing and
why.
“Let people know what’s involved in farming,” he said.
“People can handle the discussion of risks and tradeoffs. They’re aware
of the tradeoffs. They do it every day.”
Powell said people perceive genetically modified food to be risky when
in fact they have been tested far more than conventional or organic
food.
“We don’t have any data on what people eat right now,” he said.
“Scientifically, organic foods are neither healthier nor safer than
conventional or genetically modified products. Some studies show
(organic food) has the highest level of those good old natural toxins.”
Powell said consumers have the right to make choices and find out
what’s in their food, but he believes labelling should be voluntary.
“Sticking a label on everything is not necessarily meaningful,
especially when that label is designed to alarm, not inform.”
