Impressions of Canada’s Agricultural Sector

Impressions of Canada’s Agricultural Sector

The agriculture and agri-food industry evokes the usual array of visual imagery and associations, mostly pertaining to the types of crops grown and animals raised as well as the stereotypical scenery – prairie landscapes, pastoral scenery, livestock, barns, vegetables, crops and grains.

If we were to create a picture illustrating the types of images that are most commonly associated with the sector, the illustration below fairly adequately captures participants’ thoughts and projections. The images evoked tend to create a rather quaint and perhaps somewhat idyllic image of the sector, reflecting more what participants would prefer than what, in reality, they feel is the case. In Toronto, for example, participants who generally felt they did not have a particularly strong personal connection to the sector, most often thought of prairie wheat fields, large combines and greenery. Notably, although Ontario does have a fairly significant agricultural sector, these participants were inclined to picture Western Canada as the ‘center’ of farming in Canada. And, in Selkirk, Manitoba, the imagery was similar – of endless fields of corn, soy and canola – although the picture would have included much larger farms or “corporations” as they were referred to in the discussion.

In another attempt to obtain spontaneous and unprompted impressions of the sector, participants were asked to think of a few words or phrases that come to mind when they think about Canadian agriculture. As expected, the results of this exercise generated both positive associations as well as expressions of concern.

Word Association 

In virtually all discussions, the topic of GMO’s was raised in the context of participants’ impressions of the sector. This was true in both urban and rural locations. In Selkirk, Manitoba, for example, participants spent some time debating the merits of using fertilizers, pesticides and producing genetically modified foods. This discussion was integrally linked to the increased size of farm operations and what is required to run a profitable business in the sector.

“I think one of the issues is that the Government of Canada subsidizes certain products that are very  easily grown on the Prairies.  So instead of getting a variety of fruits and vegetables that can be grown 

here organically, you are not getting any of the organic stuff that will help sustain the earth.  

Meanwhile, the GMO, soybeans, canola … every farm grows that.  I know it’s all GMO.  That’s what’s  profitable right now.” 

Participants expressed concerns that the dual objectives of profitability and producing ‘healthy’ foods may not be entirely compatible.

“Profit in itself is not bad.  But, profit at the expense of other things … that’s not good.  Just as an  example, using Roundup Ready² to make the operation profitable, you are spreading lots of pesticides 

throughout the environment.  That will have an effect on the consumer who eats that product.” 

“In the summertime, when you are driving down by the fields, by the end of the week, it’s been sprayed  and harvested … all in one week, to mature the crop.” 

“Profit and health don’t go together.” 

In order to further understand how participants view the agricultural and agri-food sector, each participant was requested to complete a short questionnaire indicating how they would rate the sector across a series of dimensions, i.e., innovative, successful, modern, etc. The results for this exercise, showing the mean scores only for each group, in each location, are shown in the table below. In reviewing these scores the reader should keep in mind that most groups comprised 8 to 11 individuals, so the average score shown reflects the feedback from a fairly small number of participants. As such, these scores should be interpreted with some caution and should be viewed as providing interesting insight into the overall level of knowledge and impressions of those participants who attended the groups. They are not reflective of what could be expected for the Canadian population as a whole.

In interpreting the results, a higher average score denotes a generally more positive assessment of the industry in respect of the seven dimensions which were assessed: successful, efficient, sufficiently regulated, well integrated, innovative, environmentally conscious and modern.

Views of Canada’s Agriculture and Agri‐Food Sector 

Halifax  Montreal  Montmagny  New  Liskeard 

In examining the average scores for each of these dimensions, some patterns of interest do emerge:

 In general, participants from the two largest urban centers on the East and West coasts, Halifax and Vancouver, tended to offer lower scores on all measures. Scores for Toronto participants (excluding newcomers) were also low across most of the dimensions.

 In particular, participants in Vancouver were least likely to describe the agricultural and agri-food industry as sufficiently regulated, with an average score on this dimension of slightly below 5 out of 10. They also offered the lowest average scores with respect to ratings of the sector as successful and efficient.

 Participants in Halifax were least likely, relative to the other eight locations in which groups were conducted, to view the sector as innovative, integrated or modern.

 Scores in the more rural locations such as Montmagny and New Liskeard, where participants did feel somewhat closer to and more knowledgeable about the sector, were generally higher across the board, particularly around perceptions of the industry as being innovative and successful. The one exception was in Selkirk, where participants had mixed feelings as to whether the sector could be described as environmentally conscious, with an average score of just 5 out of 10 on this measure.

 The average scores of newcomers also tended to be slightly higher compared to their counterparts in the other sets of Toronto-based groups, especially with respect to impressions of the industry as environmentally conscious and sufficiently regulated. Newcomers more positive assessment of the Canadian agricultural sector reflects their experience in their country of origin where, for most, farming practices were not generally seen to be held to the same standards as they are in Canada.

 In Quebec, the average scores for Montreal were somewhat lower as compared to Montmagny on some of the measures, most notably on a sense that the industry was environmentally conscious.

Nevertheless, the average score is just under 6 out of 10, and higher than the ratings provided by participants in Halifax, Selkirk and Vancouver on this dimension.

VI. Knowledge and Understanding of