Grain Farmers prioritize education to combat industry misconceptions

Monday, September 8, 2014

by DAVE PINK

Even though commodity prices are at their lowest levels in four years, Ontario’s corn, soybean and wheat farmers cannot ignore the long-term need for public education, says Henry Van Ankum, chair of the Grain Farmers of Ontario.

“There are a lot of misconceptions out there,” said Van Ankum at the GFO’s annual general meeting in Woodstock Tuesday.

Those misconceptions have led to the public’s recent embrace of faddish gluten-free diets, even though many people don’t actually know what gluten is. It’s the protein compound in wheat.

“It’s crazy. I guess that’s the impact of daytime TV, but that’s the culture we’re living in,” Van Ankum said in an interview. “What people need to know a lot more of is the need for balance in a diet.”

He said the GFO is working closely with the recently formed Healthy Grain Institute to research the benefits of whole grains, and spread the word.

John Cowan, the GFO vice-president of strategic development, agreed that the general public still has a high regard for farmers. “Consumers, in general, have trusted farmers, to do the right thing,” he said in an interview.

But, that doesn’t mean they understand the science of food production, and the things they eat, said Cowan, who announced his retirement at the meeting.

“People need to know that everything we’re doing we’re doing 30 per cent better than we used to,” he said.

“We’re going to have to get engaged with the consumer because there’s so much misinformation out there. We need to get people out there who are not aggies but understand agriculture so that they can explain it.”

In part, that’s led to the creation of the new GFO promotional campaign, Good in Every Grain. The new campaign will replace the former Farmers Feed Cities promotion, which Van Ankum says served the farm community well – but after 10 years, he says it’s time for a change.

Meanwhile, Van Ankum conceded that sagging commodity prices could mean a rocky short-term future for many of the province’s grain farmers. “We are moving into a difficult time. We could be on our way to a market situation where commodity prices might not meet the costs of production,” he said, especially considering the rising price in fuel. “Our cost structure doesn’t follow the same cycle as commodity prices.”

The 150 delegates at the meeting gave overwhelming approval to the GFO’s yearly annual report, which shows the organization is in a solid financial position – strong enough, says Van Ankum, to help the industry through what could be a season of weather-reduced yields throughout the province.

The bottom line shows that the GFO has net assets of about $30.2 million this year, compared to $29.5 million one year ago.

The delegates also gave overwhelming support to a resolution endorsing the work being done by the GFO to develop and promote the interests of the grain-farming community. As well, the delegates also supported several resolutions to negotiate and secure guarantees of government support.

There is reason for long-term optimism in the industry, says Cowan, largely because of the nature of this province’s farmers. “Our guys know their markets, and that’s what makes them unique. These guys are big picture thinkers.”

That gives Ontario farmers an edge when it comes to meeting the specific needs of any of the export market. “Ask a farmer in Iowa where his soybeans go, and he has no idea. But our guys know. This is a global market, and we have to be aware of these things.”

Van Ankum, meanwhile, said the GFO will respect what the scientists have to say about the use of seed coated with neonicotinoid pesticides, which may be linked to the decline of the North American honeybee population.

“We know that they are valuable products for us, but we have to work according to provincial requirements,” he said. “Science tells the story, and we strongly support the appropriate levels of research that have to be done.

“Let’s take a long, hard look at this, and not make some knee-jerk reaction to the noises out there.”

And Van Ankum said the GFO is ready to welcome the province’s oat and barley growers into the organization. Those farmers will vote on the issue of GFO membership in November.

An additional resolution approved at the meeting would also see the growers of other less common crops, notably flaxseed and buckwheat, welcomed into the GFO. BF