Fork in the road: Canadian agriculture and food on the move

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by Minh Ngo and Erik Dorff, Statistics Canada

Food is as much a necessity as the air we breathe and the water we drink. But do we know where our food comes from, and what it takes to get it into our kitchens? Sometimes all it takes is a glance to find the place of origin; other times it may take some deeper investigation. Will the label read China, Chile, California, Ontario or British Columbia, the farm out back, or the backyard?

Canada is fortunate to have a diverse agricultural landscape that supports nearly 230,000 farms according to the 2006 Census of Agriculture. They produce a wide range of grain, oilseeds, vegetables, fruit and animals from coast to coast. That diversity, however, does not exempt us from being part of the global food market, both as exporters and importers.

The question of where our food is grown or processed is coming under increased scrutiny, not just in Canada but in other countries, including our trading partners. Concerns underlying this increased focus include discussions of energy consumption required for food transport, environmental concerns, product safety, food security and food costs.

Food on the go

Many factors play a role in seeing the products featured in Canadian stores coming from farms beyond the local region, province or country (Table 1). These factors include the limitations of climate, and economic factors including government support and farm labour prices. A grocer’s sourcing preferences based on volume and consistency also play a significant role. These same factors influence what local products are featured in the neighbourhood establishments or are exported to our trading partners. The expectation of Canadian consumers to maintain a certain level of food choice year-round as well as competitive pressures drive the food economy which ultimately connects all corners of the globe at your local food store.

Table 1
Exports and imports of selected agricultural goods in Canada, 2005

The global grocery store

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimated that nearly US $670 billion in agricultural products were exported around the world in 2005, nearly 70% of which was food. Agricultural products include food for humans, animal feed, livestock as well as most products derived from animals and vegetables such as skins, fibres, and oils. It excludes fish, fertilizer and items like machinery. Measured in constant 2000 prices, the value of international trade in agricultural products grew by 23% between 2000 and 2005.

Internationally the FAO ranked Canada ninth in 2005—with nearly US $21 billion in exports—behind Italy and Belgium but ahead of Australia and China (Table 2). Canada is a net exporter of agricultural products. The value of our agricultural imports was three-quarters of our agricultural exports (US $15.5 billion), ranking us 12^th among importing nations.

Table 2
Countries ranked by the value of their total agricultural imports and exports, 2005

Planes, trains, trucks and ships

Regardless of the direction of trade, whether export or import, food products have to be moved from Point A to Point B. Depending on where the food comes from, where it is going and how quickly it needs to arrive, transportation may involve all four modes—planes, trains, trucks and ships—which have varying levels of energy efficiency.

Goods traveling by air use more than four times the amount of energy by weight as road transport, nearly 40 times more than rail and over 44 times more than marine. When considering food miles, distance and mode of transportation both matter.

Looking local

In a country as large as Canada both domestic and international trade have broadened the variety of foods in our supermarkets. However, some people argue that it has made food more uniform, limiting local specialties and compromising flavour for a more standardized commodity that can survive the rigours of shipping and appeal to the greatest market. Others worry about food safety or the potential interruption in the flow of goods from afar.

Some people have decided that a long-distance relationship between their fork and the farm just isn’t working out. They want their food—or at least some of it—to be sourced locally, a movement that is picking up speed as the “100-Mile Diet.” Other people have sought the spark of lesser known foods and specialty flavours—often local—as part of the Slow Food movement.

Approaches to eating locally

Many approaches are available to those people who want more local food sources. Some are returning to the backyard garden and growing what they can, whether it’s a tomato plant, some kitchen herbs or a garden overflowing with produce to be enjoyed in season and preserved. Others are sourcing their food closer to home by seeking out local products at grocery stores and specialty shops, farmers’ markets and roadside stands, or by purchasing directly from farmers or through Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). The CSA approach essentially makes shoppers members of the farm for a season through annual financial commitments that get them fresh, seasonal, local produce in return. Some communities are seeking local farmers to produce specialty products that may previously have only been available as imported goods. Many communities or community groups such as tourist bureaus, community health associations and farm groups have created lists or maps that link interested consumers with farmers in their region, enabling them to source food locally.

A Canadian apple a day

Clearly some foods are better suited to being sourced locally than others. Take apples for instance—the 2006 Census of Agriculture identified 4,190 farms producing apples and they were in every province across Canada (Map 1 and Table 3). Depending on the variety, apples can mature anywhere from summer into the late autumn. That and the excellent storage quality of many varieties make buying fresh local apples feasible nearly year-round.

Map 1
Farms reporting apples in Canada, 2006

Table 3
Number of farms reporting apples and area, census years 2006 and 2001

In spite of our ability to produce excellent domestic apples, over the past 10 years Canada’s apple industry has been under steady pressure from international competitors (Figure 1). Apple production in 2006 was 376,459 tonnes, a 7.9% decrease from 2005 and about a quarter less than 1996 levels according to the Statistics Canada Fruit and Vegetable Survey. Ontario remains the top apple producer, representing 41% of the industry, followed by British Columbia at 24%, Quebec at 23% and Nova Scotia at 10%.

The United States is by far both our top apple exporter and importer (Table 4). With low commodity prices, high production costs and increasing international competition influencing a farmer’s decision to remain or even enter the apple industry it is not surprising that Canada spends more than three times as much importing fresh apples than it receives in fresh apple exports. Finding a wide variety of apples from around the world at your fingertips is no stretch of the imagination.

Table 4
Canada’s fresh apple partners: top exporting and importing countries, 2005

Figure 1
Fresh apple production, imports and exports for Canada, 1960 to 2006

Short season – sweet rewards

Strawberries are also produced in every province: 2,479 farms in total reported growing strawberries to the 2006 Census of Agriculture (Map 2). Strawberries have a short harvest period, but sourcing locally means they can be enjoyed at the peak of freshness—for a few weeks of delicious summer flavour—and not after a transcontinental journey. Outside that limited time period though, if you want to savour a local strawberry it will have to be frozen or preserved.

Map 2
Farms reporting strawberries in Canada, 2006

Table 5
Number of farms reporting strawberries and area, census years 2006 and 2001

In spite of the appeal of freshly picked local strawberries, the industry has also been declining, with the number of farms decreasing 5.5% between 2001 and 2006 and the number of hectares in production falling from over 6,000 in 2001 to 5,200 in 2006 (Table 5). Outside that limited season fresh strawberries have to be imported. As Figure 2 shows, Canadians certainly have a taste for strawberries—and our imports have rapidly outpaced our declining domestic production.

Figure 2
Canadian fresh strawberry production and imports, 1960 to 2006

Meet the meat in your next meal

Local meats—such as beef, pork, lamb, chicken, turkey, duck, bison and goat—are also produced across the country (Table 6). A look through the agriculture community profiles can tell you how many farms are raising these animals in your area. Local product can often be purchased “cut and wrapped” at the farm gate, from farmers’ markets or through local butchers. While some operators will be looking to sell a considerable amount of meat to each client—a side of beef can yield about 100 kilograms of cuts and fill most of a chest freezer—others will be willing to sell smaller orders.

Table 6
Number of farms and inventory for selected livestock and poultry, census year 2006

Map 3
Beef type farms in Canada, 2006

Local vegetables

Along with locally raised meat, every Canadian province grows a variety of field vegetables (which exclude potatoes) to fill your plate in season, though production varies with climate and demand (Map 4 and Table 7).

Table 7
Number of farms reporting selected field vegetables and potatoes, census year 2006

Map 4
Farms reporting field vegetables in Canada, 2006

While Canadians often have a wide choice of local vegetable products in season, a varied off-season diet is more of a challenge. Buying locally produced vegetables when the growing season isn’t in full swing often means incorporating fresh products that store well, such as potatoes, carrots, squash, turnips and cabbage. Produce grown in greenhouses, hoop houses or cold frames also stretches the harvest season beyond what is possible outdoors, as does choosing hardier or faster-growing varieties such as rapini and kale rather than more common vegetables such as broccoli and lettuce. Locally processed or frozen products are another option.

Going the distance—or not

In an era when almost every imaginable good routinely travels across land, water and sky to your local store, it can be easy to forget the processes, people and places involved in nurturing—if not sustaining—ourselves, our families and our communities.

Many factors can play varying roles in contributing to an individual’s choice of what products to purchase and consume, including cost, quality, type, community impacts as well as the energy requirements to transport the goods.

When it comes to food choice, for some “food miles” may be a top priority but for others, factors such as overall food preference, affordability, variety, nutrition, cultural acceptability, novelty, food security or flavour may take equal or greater consideration.

For those who choose to source food locally, contributing factors for this choice may be the perceived benefits of reduced transport energy requirements, secure access to quality food, support of local economies, fostering a sense of community and/or establishing a rapport with those growing and raising our food. At the very least, the concept presents some food for thought.

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