Recently, a farmer asked me “why should I care what somebody in Toronto thinks about how I manage my farm? I have been doing this for 40 years and I don’t need someone from the city telling me what to do.” This is not an uncommon point of view. Farmers get frustrated when people who don’t understand agriculture weigh in on how livestock should be raised and crops should be grown.
The fact is those opinions from urban Canada are already impacting what happens behind the farm gate, and that impact is only going to grow. There are two reasons for this. Canadian farmers don’t just grow corn and canola or raise pigs and cattle. Farmers grow food, and collectively urban consumers are the largest customer base for what farmers grow and raise. What our customers think matters. Second, there are more urban Canadians voters than rural voters, and that influences who is elected and the legislation and regulations that come down from our legislative assemblies and Parliament.
In today’s immediate information environment, public opinion can shift rapidly. For example, cooking oils from crops like canola were at the top of the “heart healthy list” just a short time ago. Despite years of research, questions from the Make America Healthy Again movement have made many wonder how healthy these oils actually are. Another example is California’s Proposition 12, which was imposed without adequate scientific backing. The Proposition forced costly production requirements for both farms in California and in provinces and states that ship meat to California.
If the North American agriculture and food industries only react retroactively to these initiatives, we will see significant overregulation. Agriculture must proactively engage on the questions that our customers value. The question “where does my food come from” is genuine for many consumers. If agriculture is not prepared to answer this question, others will and they will do so without considering the interests of farmers and, if history is a guide, will do so with little consideration for scientific research.
The public frequently has questions about animal welfare practices. The farmers I have met genuinely care about the welfare of their animals. Healthy animals are also essential to the financial success of their farms. But just saying this does not answer the public’s question “was the animal cared for properly.” There needs to be some transparent proof behind the industry’s “yes it was” answer.
Like all livestock producers in Canada, pig farmers follow a scientifically developed code of practice, otherwise known as The Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Pigs. The Code specifies housing and environmental conditions, like space for pigs, and climate-controlled barns. The code also outlines staff training guidelines and requirements for traceability and safe transport. Nutrition and freshwater standards are outlined in the Code as is a requirement for the farm to have an ongoing relationship with a veterinarian. In Manitoba, following the Code is a requirement under the Farm Animal Care Act.
“Is the way my food grown good for the environment” is another common question from the public. Again, before we get to “yes”, agriculture needs to be able to back up the answer with transparent action.
There was a time when animal manure was spread on fields with little thought to what happens to the nutrients after. There was a time when few would have thought there was anything wrong with applying manure to frozen ground. There was a time when animal agriculture was a significant source of nitrogen and phosphorus in our lakes and rivers. Those times are long past.
Today hog manure is a valuable organic fertilizer that enriches soil health. Almost all hog manure in Manitoba is injected well below the soil’s surface, which protects waterways from run-off. The nutrient content of the manure is measured in real time as it is being injected, and the rate of application is adjusted to ensure that nutrients are being applied correctly.
Producing food in an environmentally responsible manner is good business. It is also a regulatory requirement. Hog farmers in Manitoba must file an annual Manure Management Plan with the province. Plans must be prepared by a registered third-party planner and include soil testing and tailoring application to the nutrient needs of a specific crop.
Farmers are doing the right things but is this enough to counter opinion driven movements? The answer is no. There was a time when the public had an inherent trust of agriculture. As time has passed, the connection between urban consumers and rural producers has faded and so to understands what it takes to deliver a safe and reliable food supply. Modern agriculture is not well understood. While trust is not built through advertising, it is incumbent upon agriculture to talk about doing the right thing and to demonstrate how consistent practices, transparency, and a willingness to improve are answering questions about food production.