Food Labelling Proposal

Representatives from BuyFromTheFarm.ca have attended a number of public discussions which included the issue of Canadian Food Labeling, and our proposals on the subject have garnered considerable support.

A major problem, from the producers' and manufacturers' perspective, is that there is only a limited amount of space on any label! Using the space for lists of ingredients, nutritional information, country of origin labeling, and preparation instructions, in both official languages, leaves little room for branding and enhancement of product appeal.

BuyFromTheFarm.ca is proposing a voluntary subscription system for food packaging which would make the information available to the consumer without using label space. As consumers begin to use the system, there will be increased demand, and more packagers will opt-in.

We are proposing a distinctive label for items which contain Canadian Farm Products, with a registration number. Manufacturers would file an affidavit annually stating the country of origin of each of their ingredients, and percentages if they originate from more than one country. A special version of the label would be made available to Canadian Farmers, which they could display for farm-gate or market sales, or use to label any produce to be sold through wholesalers, which would identify the farm of origin.

The information could be made available to Canadian consumers from a national public database, accessible through the internet, and possibly through kiosks set up in major grocery stores. Kiosks have the advantage of it being possible to permit wireless access, so consumers using advanced cell phones or PDA's would be able to browse the information while they were shopping.

We anticipate that the operating costs of such a system would be well covered by annual subscription revenues, and that it would represent a significant saving to producers over current labeling costs.

Give us your feedback, and lets see where this will take us!