The Canadian Federation of Independent Business surveyed 1,510 people in September
By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com
A majority of surveyed Canadians see farmers as one of the most respected groups in the country, a public opinion poll suggests.
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business surveyed 1,510 people between Sept. 11 and 13.
In total, 96 per cent of respondents (1,449 people) said they respect farmers.
Small business owners (95 per cent) and government agencies and departments (57 per cent) round out the top three respected groups.
“Farmers make significant economic contributions to Canada,” Marilyn Braun-Pollon, the CFIB’s vice-president of Western Canada and agribusiness, told Farms.com. “They produce some of the highest-quality and safest food in the world, so it wasn’t a surprise for us to see that a majority of everyday Canadians give farmers top marks.”
The CFIB ran a similar poll in 2011. The organization surveyed 2,028 people that year and farmers ranked as the most respected group.
Producers are pleased to see the work they do held in such a high regard.
But some farmers are confused about how the public can respect the industry and yet criticize it so heavily.
“It’s great to see so many people appreciate the work farmers do,” Dorothy Lange, a cash crop and dairy farmer from Simcoe County, Ont., told Farms.com. “At the same time, it feels a little strange because the public are the first ones to question our practices or blame farmers when food prices go up.”