The council “would bring together key stakeholders from across the food system to work collaboratively with the government,” said the Canadian Federation of Agriculture.

Among other things, it would address food insecurity; high levels of diet-related disease; climate change mitigation and adaptation; and building public trust.

The coalition includes companies such as Maple Leaf Foods, along with the Alberta Federation of Agriculture, Canadian Pork Council, Canadian Seed Growers’ Association, and Egg Farmers of Canada.

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The award recognizes farmers and ranchers who have made significant efforts in conserving natural ecosystems, fostering additional pollinator habitat, and protecting pollinators. It is a joint initiative of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA), Canadian Forage and Grassland Association, and Pollinator Partnership.

“This award not only provides an opportunity to recognize some of the innovative and long-term solutions Canadian farmers are implementing to support the conservation of our pollinating species, but also encourages discussion about the vital impact pollinators have on our ecosystem, said CFA president Ron Bonnett.

More information can be found on the Canadian Federation of Agriculture website. Nominations are open until Aug. 12.

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The 250-acre farm near Ferintosh, south of Camrose, is operated by Michael, Laura and Takota Coen.

The Coens have been practising sustainable farming since the late 1980s, with son Takota recently investing in agroforestry and diversifying several acres where livestock graze between rows of planted fruit, nut, and timber trees. This approach benefits pollinators, which gain increased habitat and food supply.

To support their “forest farm,” the Coens have created a unique community-supported agriculture (CSA) program, where people can purchase a share and over several years receive the value back in the form of nuts, fruit, honey, herbs, meat and more. More info on the family’s Forest Garden CSA can be found at grassrootsfamilyfarm.ca.

“As pollinators directly contribute to the production of one-third of the human diet, their importance to our ecosystems cannot be overlooked,” said Ron Bonnett, president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture. “I applaud Michael, Laura and Takota Coen for their innovation and significant investment towards improving pollinator habitat.”

The CFA works with the Pollinator Partnership project to help encourage conservation stewardship on farms while increasing awareness about the importance of pollinators.

Canada is home to more than 1,000 species of pollinators, including bees, butterflies, moths, bats and beetles, which are essential to more than $1 billion worth of fruit and vegetable production annually.

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“Food Freedom Day is a chance to acknowledge the abundant, safe and secure food supply we enjoy in Canada. It can also serve as a time to consider our individual role and impact we have in the food system, whether that be as a consumer, farmer, processor or retailer,” said CFA president Ron Bonnett.

“While Canadian farmers are making continuous efforts to improve productivity, there are several angles to sustainability to consider. The sustainability of our food supply and making our dollar go as far as possible is a concern we all share and a solution we can all be a part of. One way we can have significant impact is in reducing food loss at the production and consumption level,” Bonnett added.

In 2009, total Canadian food waste amounted to $27 billion; this equates to $774.07 in food dollars wasted per person, according to a study done by the George Morris Centre.

Without any food waste along the food value chain, the date for Food Freedom Day would have been February 5 this year.

“From the farm to the dinner table, far too much food is being wasted and the consequences are serious. With an ever-increasing global population and depleting natural resources, wasting food makes no sense — ethically, economically or environmentally,” Bonnett added.

“The good news is that we can do something about it. We can take responsibility as individuals and follow basic tips to save food. To improve industry efficiency along the food chain, government and industry must work together to develop a food strategy for Canada. The industry-driven National Food Strategy can be a starting point for discussion and includes several key objectives addressing efficiencies in the food system.

“Together we can minimize wasteful practices and make sure our strong agriculture and food heritage is maintained for this generation and generations to come,” Bonnett concluded.

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While our leaders discuss biodiversity at high-level international conferences, farmers continue their ongoing environmental efforts here at home. They keep a cautious eye toward maintaining productive land for years to come. They use environmentally conscious practices, such as no-till farming, crop rotation, water quality control, riparian-area buffer zones, grazing/ forage management, and other habitat protection. This first-hand appreciation of nature’s riches, and the need to cultivate with care, gives farmers a unique perspective in developing effective land-use practices.

Together, farm organizations are a valuable source of knowledge for government and other land-use decisions makers. The Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) prides itself in partnering with various advisory groups, such as the federal Species-at-Risk Advisory Committee, to ensure that policies are created with clear objectives and practical implementation measures. The CFA works continuously to draw attention to the fact that farming is no longer about simply growing food. Its National Food Strategy, launched earlier this year, will highlight the many socioeconomic connections between producers and consumers, and this includes environmental stewardship. All members of society benefit from the environmental efforts of farmers. They should be recognized and supported for these services.

Agriculture is an active participant in biodiversity protection through various private initiatives, innovative partnerships and organizational activities as described above. This leadership needs to be recognized and valued in any discussions about biodiversity.

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Food Freedom Day is slightly later in 2009 due to the recent rise in the price of food. This bucks the trend of recent years, where the disposable income of Canadians rose significantly faster than the cost of food. However, thanks to farmers, Canadians still get the best deal in the Western world for their food dollar. In many parts of the world, the cost of food is significantly higher. Member countries within the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), on average, spend 8.3 per cent more of their disposable income on food than Canadians. Australians spend 12.7 per cent more, the Japanese spend 35.7 per cent more, and Mexicans spend over 125 per cent more of their disposable income on food than Canadians.

In 2008, while prices in some agriculture commodities soared, Canadian farmers continued to take only a very small percentage of the consumers’ food dollar at the grocery store. In 2005, a grain farmer received seven cents for the corn in a box of Kellogg’s Corn Flakes and 11 cents for the wheat in a loaf of bread. Even with a doubling in the price of commodities, those costs would then become 14 and 22 cents, certainly not justifying the significant retail markups which many consumers complained about. Given the processed nature of many consumer foods, it is far more likely that an increase in the cost of energy played a much larger role in the retail price increase.

Canadians continue to receive high-quality food produced at the highest food safety and environmental standards. To ensure that consumers are able to identify Canadian food products and support our agriculture sector, the CFA will continue to advocate for effective ingredient-based “Product of Canada” guidelines that are both informative to the consumer and practical to the agri-food industry.

For more information on how Food Freedom Day, visit the CFA website at www.cfa-fca.ca

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