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North, east, southandwest: There’s aworld
out therewaiting for you
Canada has developed a brand
of its own when it comes to Canadian
agricultural products. People around the
world who eat anything labelled “Prod-
uct of Canada” know they are getting a
quality product. That label is sought out
at grocery stores both here in Canada
and worldwide.
The “Product of Canada” label creates
a real opportunity to present the story of
Canadian farming from a producer’s per-
spective, and helps create a connection
to the source. When buyers feel connect-
ed to the supplier, especially with food
staples, they feel confident in looking for
that supplier in the future.
It is important for producers, when
given the opportunity, to get out and
participate in trade missions that take
them overseas to meet the people who
are buying Canadian agricultural prod-
ucts. It not only allows the buyers to ask
questions about the producers’ farming
operations and get an understanding of
how farms are managed in Canada, but
it also establishes a relationship. When
Canadian growers are given the oppor-
tunity to tell the story about their farms,
their families and their crops, they take
ownership of the food they are growing
and selling.
Business is about building relation-
ships and meeting face to face—farmers
to buyers. Relationships between the
farmers who grow the wheat, lentil,
barley or canola crops, and the buyers
around the world who are purchasing
them, are critical for growing busi-
ness—for both the grower and the buyer.
Collaboration and partnerships are the
new order of the day. The end results
are stronger business relationships for
Canada, and increased opportunities to
sell our products worldwide.
Even Canadian grocery store chains are
taking on similar marketing strategies here
at home. In many grocery stores, when you
pick up a package of meat, the label often
introduces you to the farmer who grew the
chicken or beef that you are buying. This
allows consumers to feel better about the
food they eat by knowing where it comes
from. The same goes for our international
customers. They, too, place importance on
knowing where their food comes from, and
like to have that connection back to the
farmer who grew or raised it.
With growing issues around food se-
curity and being able to trace food back
through the value chain, building the
relationship between farmer and buyer
is very important for selling Canadian
agriculture products. Creating that
personal link between the farmer and
the food is a key marketing trait that
Canadian agriculture can turn to in the
future.
Buyers really want to connect with
growers. For the future of the Canadian
agriculture industry, it is important
for our farmers to establish relation-
ships with our customers so they feel
informed and educated about Canada,
our production systems, the quality of
our agriculture products for their end
use and our quality-assurance systems.
Building relationships is a key part
of doing business today and it should
remain a top priority, especially when it
comes to agriculture.
Doug Cornell is the general manager of the
Alberta Wheat Commission.
FromtheFarmto theWorld
By Doug Cornell
ROLLING
FORWARD
Creating that personal link
between the farmer and the food
is a key marketing trait that
Canadian agriculture can turn
to in the future.
Winter
2014
grainswest.com
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