February 3 is Food Freedom Day.
Recognized annually, Food Freedom Day is the date when the average Canadian family has earned enough income to cover food costs for the entire year. This year’s celebration is designed to also raise awareness of the contributions made by Ontario farmers and to serve as a reminder of the value, safety, and quality of locally grown food.
The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) reports that Food Freedom Day 2008 has moved up a week from previous years, thanks to an increase in consumers’ disposable income. Yet at the same time, food prices have not risen to the same degree. In fact, by mid January of this year, the average Canadian family has already paid the farmers’ share of their food costs.
Geri Kamenz, OFA President, offers further insight into what Food Freedom Day means for Ontario farm families and consumers.
“As farmers celebrate the vital role they play in feeding Ontario’s growing population, they are as committed as ever to providing consumers with one of the most affordable and safest food supplies in the world. Consider the cost of feeding your family in the 21st century.
“In 2005, Canadian consumers spent on average, just 10.6 per cent [Statistics Canada – Food Statistics and Farm Product Price Index] of their personal disposable income on food, and have experienced little change to date. Compare that to 1998 when the figure was 12.4 percent. ”
While that may be good News for consumers, the OFA reports that while many consumers have likely received cost of living increases over the past few years, farmers have not. In fact, The Farmer’s Share: Compare the Share Update 2006 Report reveals that despite rising retail prices, the money farmers receive for their products has not increased significantly over the past two decades. Canadian farmers continue to take only a very small percentage of the money consumers spend in the grocery store. Here are some examples of consumer cost for food items and what the farmer receives.
In 2005:
– the average retail cost of a litre of milk was $1.78, but the farmer received only $0.68 a litre;
– a box of corn flakes that cost almost $3.58 in the grocery store paid only $0.07 to the farmer who grew the corn; and
– the beef farmer received $1.95 for the prime sirloin steak that cost $14.83 in the store.
There are many factors involved in the cost of growing food. To respond to growing consumer demand, Ontario farmers are improving the environmental sustainability of operations, and are implementing programs that continue to ensure the safety of food – from the farm gate. The cost is not borne by governments nor consumers but by farmers alone.
So as people shop for their next grocery order, the WFA asks why not give a thought to Ontario farmers for providing one of safest, lowest-cost food baskets in the world.
submitted by the Wellington Federation of Agriculture
