Issue

With Canadians increasingly concerned about food sustainability and the environmental footprint of agriculture, there is a growing need to provide fact‑based, accessible education about where food comes from. Public understanding has not kept pace with changes in modern agriculture, and misinformation continues to widen the gap between producers and consumers. A coordinated, national effort is required to increase agricultural literacy, improve trust, and highlight the essential role agribusiness plays in Canada’s economy, environmental stewardship, and food security.

Background

Less than 1 percent of Canadians are farm operators, yet every Canadian participates in the agri‑food system when they shop, eat, or make food choices. Urbanization, shifting demographics, and online misinformation have widened the disconnect between producers and consumers, leaving many Canadians unaware of the sustainability, innovation, and regulatory rigor that define Canada’s agriculture sector.

Producers increasingly report feeling under scrutiny because of public misconceptions. At the same time, modern agriculture has advanced significantly in environmental stewardship, animal health, food safety, traceability, carbon reduction, and circular‑economy practices. However, the public often does not have access to accurate, clear, or unified information about these developments.

National policy consultations have emphasized the need to strengthen public trust, improve perceptions of sustainability, and better communicate the high standards upheld across Canadian agriculture. A comprehensive public education effort would help Canadians understand how modern farming supports climate objectives, the economy, rural communities, trade competitiveness, and future food security.

Canada’s Economic Strategy Table for Agri‑food outlines a vision for Canada to be the most trusted, sustainable, and reliable global supplier of high‑quality agri‑food products. Achieving this vision requires stronger public engagement, unified branding, and consistent messaging that reflects the realities of today’s agriculture sector.

Country‑of‑Origin Labelling (COOL) and the broader “Canada Brand” both offer tools to help consumers identify Canadian goods and understand the high food‑safety and environmental standards associated with Canadian production. However, these tools remain under‑utilized.

Finally, the next generation must be equipped with a foundational understanding of agriculture and agri‑food careers. Although education is a provincial responsibility, federal funding, grants, and partnerships can significantly improve access to agricultural learning, career awareness, experiential opportunities, and curriculum‑aligned resources.

A national, fact‑based public education campaign will help bridge the knowledge gap, strengthen trust, showcase environmental and ethical leadership, and ensure Canadians understand the essential contributions of the agriculture and agri‑food sector.

Recommendations

The Southeast Alberta Chamber of Commerce recommends the Government of Canada:

1. Develop a unified national public‑education strategy that highlights the agriculture sector’s environmental stewardship, high production standards, sustainability practices, and essential role in Canada’s economy.
2. Expand and modernize the “Canada Brand” program to create a single, widely adopted label, logo, and theme that clearly identifies Canadian agricultural and agri‑food products across domestic and international markets.
3. Ensure the Next Agricultural Policy Framework strengthens public‑trust capacity, including branding skills, fact‑based communication resources, and public‑awareness initiatives.
4. Support agricultural literacy and learning opportunities by funding fact‑based educational materials, farm‑to‑school programming, teacher resources, digital learning tools, and partnerships between producers and educational institutions.

Resources

[1] Canadian Agriculture at a Glance, Statistics Canada: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/96-325-x/96-325-x2019001-eng.htm
[2] Demand for Convenience, Government of Alberta: https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/b5d936eb-2127-424e-b1b8-818c486d12aa/resource/5d7a504d-ab10-4f1c-843c-79801cf0d412/download/af-consumer-corner-54-demand-for-convenience-2019-11.pdf
[3] Next Agricultural Policy Framework:  What We Heard Report – 2 https://cap.alberta.ca/CAP/download/AGUCMINT-4795873
[4] Canada’s Economic  Strategy Table: Agri-food’: 2 https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/098.nsf/vwapj/ISEDC_Agri-Food_E.pdf/$file/ISEDC_Agri-Food_E.pdf
[5] Canada’s Economic  Strategy Table: Agri-food’: 3 https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/098.nsf/vwapj/ISEDC_Agri-Food_E.pdf/$file/ISEDC_Agri-Food_E.pdf

Date Approved: September 2020
Date Renewed: October 2023
Updated: February 18, 2026