Sunterra Foods Urges Greater Focus on Relevant Consumer Information

CANADA - Farm-Scape: Episode 1365. Farm-Scape is a Wonderworks Canada production and is distributed courtesy of Manitoba Pork Council and Sask Pork.
calendar icon 17 October 2003
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Manitoba Pork Council


Farm-Scape is sponsored by
Manitoba Pork Council and Sask Pork

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Farm-Scape is a Wonderworks Canada production and is distributed courtesy of Manitoba Pork Council
and Sask Pork.

Farm-Scape, Episode 1365

The head of the Sunterra Group of Companies says today's consumers want reliable relevant information that will allow them make informed food buying decisions.

The Sunterra group of companies is involved in pork and beef production, crop production, pork, lamb and veal processing and full service food retail.

Executive Committee Chair Dave Price says consumers want to understand the product and how it's delivered to them so they can judge what's appropriate and what's not and Sunterra strives to provide that information.

He says the biggest concern is the consumer's misconception of modern agriculture.

"Generally the media, in their desire to respond to what they perceive the consumer wants to see, characterizes the industry 30 or 40 years ago in a quote 'more romantic' time but food production is a business.

Producers need to be able to get the information to the consumers so that they understand it is a business.

We do it very carefully, it's a technical effort and it's very responsibly done. Once they understand the linkages through that, then consumers are much more comfortable with it. Anybody that's involved in the food production and marketing business needs to think about that dynamic.

People generally don't relate to modern agriculture and most people have a romantic view of what it was like when their granddad told them about it but that's not a today image of what we're doing in a very technical and specialized way"

Price says agriculture is no different from any sector of the economy.

He says the way a car was repaired a generation ago has changed and it's the same with agriculture but people have lost touch with agriculture's evolution.

He says that connection needs to be restored for consumers to understand and value what food producers and processors do.

For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.
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