Milk Producer - December 2009 - (Page 8)

DAIRYUPDATE Wanted: local food Survey shows majority of Ontario consumers would support food certification program aying attention to the local food movement has received further reinforcement. A survey shows a large majority of Ontario consumers would like a program certifying the food they buy is produced in the province—including dairy products. “One clear message from this study is that consumers are increasingly passionate about eating Ontario products,” says Curtiss Littlejohn, chair P of OnTrace, which conducted the survey in collaboration with a Toronto research firm. “But, they are also becoming more concerned about the food they purchase.” OnTrace, the industry-led organization responsible for traceability programs and initiatives in the province, commissioned the study to understand what consumers thought about the food they buy and how they can verify where it originates. Consumers expressed frustration they can’t easily identify food grown and pro- duced in Ontario, according to the survey. While there was some recognition of the VQA logo used on wines and the Foodland Ontario symbol, most logos and slogans promoting Ontario food seem to frustrate and confuse consumers. “What we found was a large majority of consumers feel that a simple and consistent gold seal that is backed up by a trusted standard would be of great value to them,” says Brian Sterling, OnTrace’s chief executive officer. “The challenge for OnTrace is obviously how to help industry address this opportunity.” One of the key research findings was that Ontario foods “represent trustworthiness, quality and freshness to consumers, and there is also a deep sense of pride felt in Ontario farm products.” Consumers also want to support Ontario farmers as part of supporting the local economy. Consumers show significant interest in traceability and certiMajority of consumers surveyed would be more confident buying Ontario fruits, vegetables, dairy and meat products if they knew it was certified to a reliable standard. 8 | December 2009 | MilkPRODUCER

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Milk Producer - December 2009

Milk Producer - December 2009
Contents
Editor's Notes
DFO Chair's Message
Dairy Update
Industry Roundup
DFC Promotion
Office Management
Seven Issues That Matter
Herd Health
Research
Applied Science
Ruminations
Markets
New 'N' Noted
Back Forty

Milk Producer - December 2009