CFA President Ron Bonnett, Vice-President Humphrey Banack and Vice-President Marcel Groleau serve up free soup to celebrate Food Freedom Day.
OTTAWA, February 8, 2017 — The Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) has calculated that today Canadians will have earned enough income (on average) to pay their grocery bill for the entire year – a date that CFA has coined as Food Freedom Day.
In 2016, Canadians are expected to have spent 10.7% of their disposable income on food, compared to 11% in 2015. To calculate the date, CFA compares food expenditures against average income and prorates this to represent calendar days. In 2017, it will take an estimated 39 days of work to cover food costs, which lands on February 8th.
In marking Food Freedom Day 2017, CFA is kicking off a series of Canada 150 activities to highlight the many positive contributions that agriculture brings to Canada, including the point that Canadians enjoy some of the lowest food costs in the world. Canada consistently ranks in the world’s top five countries for lowest food costs.
“As Canada approaches its 150th birthday, we’ll take a close look at the relationships between Canadians, their food, and farming communities. As the country reflects on its history and looks ahead, we have an ideal chance to raise awareness of how Canadians enjoy an abundance of safe affordable food produced by our farmers,” said CFA President Ron Bonnett at a launch event in downtown Ottawa near Parliament Hill.
“Agriculture is at the heart of Canada. Many family farms helped to form our communities, and we’re eager to show that farms are woven into our national fabric,” added Bonnett.
CFA has several activities planned for its “Canada 150: Our Farms. Our Food. Our Future” campaign, and over the next few months will shine a spotlight on the value of our farms and agriculture industry. As an initial publication for this campaign, CFA has released a new infographic for members and other groups to use in promotional or educational settings.
Later this month, CFA hosts is 2017 Annual Meeting at which members and industry observers can expect a fascinating dialogue on future agriculture policy priorities and the sector’s growth potential.