Feedback wanted for Made in Alberta food label

Feb 10, 2022

Albertans have until Feb. 19 to submit comments

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

The Alberta government is asking citizens to submit feedback on the development of a label designed to help shoppers identify local food.

The provincial government and then-minister of agriculture Devin Dreeshen introduced the ‘Made in Alberta, by Albertans’ program in July 2021. In addition to the slogan, the logo features a picture of the province.

Consultations that summer helped finalize the label design and prepare rules for usage.

And now the government is asking for more input from Albertans.

Surveys are available for the public to use until Feb. 19 to make their suggestions.

One survey is for stakeholders including members of the primary agriculture and processing sectors.

It asks for some personal information, business information, thoughts on who should be the administrator of the voluntary program and how it should be implemented.

Stakeholders will also be invited to participate in virtual sessions for further discussion.

Another survey is for the general public.

It asks for some personal information and how likely a person is to purchase a product with the ‘Made in Alberta, by Albertans’ label on it.

Alberta is one of the last remaining provinces to have a local food labelling program.

In British Columbia, for example, the ministry of agriculture, food and fisheries relaunched its Buy BC program in 2018 after being cancelled in the 2000s.

And Ontario has had its Foodland Ontario program and the ‘Good Things Grow in Ontario’ slogan since the provincial government set it up in 1977.

Almost 90 per cent of Ontarians recognize the logo.

Video: Canada's Agriculture Day 2025

Let's celebrate Canadian agriculture.

Well, number one, you don't eat without farmers. Farmers put food on the table. And what could be more important than that?

Well, I think it's important that Canadians understand exactly what takes place, what happens to produce this food, no matter what sector you're talking about.

An awful lot of work goes into that. It's important to understand that meat does not come out of a showcase, and milk does not come out of a bottle. It's produced by farmers and hard work.

Canada has the best farmers in the world. And agriculture is vital to Canada.

In 2024, our agriculture and agri-food sector represented $150 billion of Canada's GDP, nearly $100 billion of our exports, and one in nine jobs.

From grains to fruits to dairy and beef, we are truly blessed with an incredible bounty. Having spent my whole life in agriculture, I see so much potential for the sector.

This time last year, I was proud to open our first-ever agriculture and trade office in the Indo-Pacific, the world’s fastest-growing economy, to cement our presence in the region and grow our exports even more. We've also been making historic investments to help our farmers to boost their yields, protect the planet, and earn a fair living.

The world wants more top-quality, sustainable food, and I know our Canadian farmers can deliver. And it's so important that you do that with pride. We need you.

Quite simply, you eat the most top quality food in the world. You do that because of the quality of farmers and ranchers you have in this country.

Just say thank you to a farmer or a rancher. They work very hard, yes, for a living, but also with a sense of pride in what they produce.

That's what Canada's Agriculture Day is all about.