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.