Ottawa—A Public Trust Strategy to boost consumer confidence in Canadian-produced foods is under development while many ingredients for it already exist in unconnected and underappreciated agriculture programs across the country. Livestock care codes and the 4-R fertilizer program are good examples of well- established platforms and sustainable production codes for beef and poultry have been set up. Cereals Canada wants to bring in a Code of Practice for crop production modeled after the livestock care codes. Best practices guidelines can be found throughout the agrifood sector. The goal of all these initiatives is to reassure consumers that “Canada's food system is a system they can trust to deliver healthy, safe affordable food in a way that reflects short- and long-term sustainability and global competitiveness,” said an opening statement to a recent Public Trust workshop. The strategy's goal is to create trust in Canadian food “and the processes and practices the agrifood industry follows to produce it.” Last year, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture and the Canadian Center for Food Integrity received $440,000 from the Canadian Agriculture Adaptation Program to develop a strategy through the Public Trust Steering Committee (PTSC). It's trying to fill any holes in research on the topic. Former CFA President Ron Bonnett, who is serving as co-chair of PTSC, said a working plan will be unveiled soon. “We know we're not going to change every mind but we can aim to influence a lot more people than we do now.” One of the big challenges is co-ordinating the numerous food safety and sustainability initiatives throughout the agrifood sector. “How do we knit them all together to really tell our story?” he said. “How do we tell them we do the right thing because it's good for them and us?” Don Buckingham, CEO of the Canadian Agriculture Policy Institute, said an effective trust strategy will benefit everyone in the agrifood chain. “It can bring us increased market access and price premiums.” For that reason, all segments of the agrifood sector should support the development of the strategy. “It should bring us all together because we all can win from it. The focus needs to be on what consumers want. The key ingredients in the strategy have to be transparency and verification.” The array of unconnected programs aimed at assuring consumers is the result of all the silos in the sector, he said. They have to be set aside so the industry can drive the Public Trust Strategy with government support. The Agriculture Institute of Canada, which is changing its name to the Canadian Agri-food Innovation Council, says the federal government should take a more active role in developing a greater sense of public trust in agrifood. CEO Serge Buy said the strategy requires effective, clear and transparent scientific and evidence-based communications, which Ottawa can take a key role in. It should expand the role and resources of Canada's Chief Science Advisor (CSA) to become a trusted voice on agrifood issues. “Canadians are looking for answers and do not know where to turn to for these answers,” he said. “This is why the federal government should take that leading role,” he said. The CSA could provide important information to Canadians on key issues such as the safety of products, scientific advances and processing of food. The government should facilitate the networking and sharing of information through the agrifood sector and incentivize initiatives that would better connect Canadians with the agrifood community, he said. At a recent Public Trust workshop, the Canadian Center for Food Integrity said its survey of the agrifood sector found public trust is most highly rated as a food system macro issue as well as the matter “most in need of collaboration and coordination.” Surveys have found that only 36 per cent of the public think the Canadian food system is headed in the right direction while 41 per cent are unsure and 23 per cent think it isn't, Farmers came off a bit better with 55 per cent reporting positive impressions of them. Meanwhile farmers and farm organizations were most respected when it came to providing information on how food is grown. Alex Binkley is a freelance journalist and writes for domestic and international publications about agriculture, food and transportation issues. He's also the author of two science fiction novels with more in the works.