Cam Dahl, the General Manager of Manitoba Pork, calls on farmers to seize the opportunity to interact with consumers and share the good news story of how they produce their food. 
To maintain the public’s trust, farmers, processors and everyone involved in supporting agricultural production, the public keeps increasing the demand of farmers telling their stories and engaging with consumers to tell the story of modern farming. 
Dahl said it’s a growing subject across all agriculture, especially animal agriculture, where more and more consumers are asking where their food comes from, and farmers need to have ready answers. First off, they want to know that their food is safe; the primary question comes through a combination of government regulations.
“Having solid food safety regulations is important to consumers, and there is a trust with that, as well as having industry programs that help assure food safety.”
The following questions surround how producers raise their animals humanely, are they getting the right feed at the right time, use antibiotics animal production, and treat diseases when necessary.
Those questions stick out in consumers’ minds while concerned about the impact on the environment and what Manitoba producers are doing to reduce greenhouse gases and efficiently use nutrients.
“The hog industry has a good story to tell on all of those fronts. We need to tell it, and organizations like mine need to do a better job of communicating the good news story to consumers.”
Dahl sees this discussion as an opportunity for farmers in Manitoba to reconnect with their customers. “We have a unique opportunity, and we need to grab it.”
Tell this good-news story applies not only in Canada but broad, to capitalize on opportunities to reconnect and interact with consumers.
As Canada becomes more urban, this connection to the farm keeps eroding. So much of the information that comes from Google and the internet is not nearly always accurate and correct.
Without criticizing the people, some of their actions oppose modern agriculture, resulting in some misinformation.
Farmers need to provide consumers with science-based reliable information. Siting the Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Pigs is produced through a committee that includes outside representation and third-party representation. It includes independent scientists and governments, not only something that industry is producing on its own. So consumers can have that confidence that the codes pig producers use and abide by, have that independent oversight and independent revue and that’s important.
“Science is important, and we need to find a way of communicating that back to the public.”
Dahl reiterated that consumers want the assurance their food is safe, producers are treating the animals humanely, and farmers are taking steps to protect the environment.
Canadian farmers have a good story to tell and must become more involved in telling that story. •
— By Harry Siemens