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Food

Big Ag Is Ruining Everyone’s Canadian Thanksgiving

One in eight Canadians is having a bummer Thanksgiving. With food insecurity rampant in Canada, who's to blame? Probably the Big Ag bigwigs who are threatening local farmers and buying out land—and store shelves.
Hilary Pollack
Los Angeles, US
Photo via Flickr user Patrick Stahl

Though we're still six weeks away from its American counterpart, today is Canadian Thanksgiving—which, much like our Yankee rendition, is typically celebrated with a massive feast of turkey, potatoes, yams, and the like. But lurking beneath the Pepto Bismol-funded holiday acknowledging our gratitude for bounties of food, drink, and togetherness, Canada may be on the brink of something scarier.

According to the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, roughly four million Canadians are victims of food insecurity, consisting of anything from poverty-induced hunger to inadequate fulfillment of nutritional needs. This number may seem low relative to the 300-million-strong population of America, but despite its massive geography, Canada's is a mere 35 million—meaning that 13 percent or nearly one out of eight Canadians is affected. Children in particular are at the highest degree of risk, with one out of six impacted. And on top of that, the Great White North has seen rising rates of obesity (nearly a quarter of citizens), diabetes and high blood pressure, likely from poor diet.

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Food Secure Canada, an alliance of groups working together towards improving food security and sovereignty, pinpoints one of the primary factors as being the prevalence of massive, "Big Ag" farms over smaller ones that better serve their communities. FSC tells the Toronto Star that "55,000 farms sell essentially to four or five retailers who supply 85 percent of [Canadian] food," and 96 percent of Canada's meat supply is under the thumb of four major companies. Monopolization is ever-increasing, bolstered by the Canadian government's subsidies of monocrops, discouraging the local production of more diverse produce.

In the past 20 years, the average farm size increased from 598 to 778 acres—as did the average age of farm operators—but the number of farms and the number of farm operators dropped by nearly 25 percent. Young farmers just aren't hyped on entering a market where they can't compete with agri-giants—especially when government handouts and trade policies are working against them.

Morris Gervais runs Barrie Hill Farms, a 520-acre operation in Ontario that primarily grows asparagus, berries, tomatoes, pumpkins, and corn. He says that in the past two decades, he has "absolutely" sensed the dominance of large-scale agribusinesses threatening the viability of smaller-scale farms. "In the organic sector, farmers' markets, those types of places, there's a spot for small farms to perhaps survive there," he tells me. "But in terms of mainstream production, that will be much more challenging." Although demand has increased for local and organic products, they're often not available in chain stores. As a result, smaller farms are essentially penalized for their efforts to produce organic, sustainable crops, and processed foods based in corn and soy products tend to dominate shelves.

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The reason for this divide is that Big Ag—often companies based in the United States—are essentially buying out the spaces at grocery retailers. "This is a reality that I've lived," he sighs. "I'll have a great crop of fresh strawberries or asparagus, ready to deliver it to a local grocery store. But I'll call the store and they'll say 'We don't need it. Our warehouse just shipped us New Jersey asparagus, or California strawberries.' So my sale is gone, and there's nothing I can do." Often, large American corporations will even threaten groceries, telling them that if they don't regularly purchase their hauls, they'll deny the store fresh produce at other times of year when Canadian farmers are unable to provide the goods. Morris tells me that "In the case of strawberries, the corporations in California are big and powerful, so they're like, 'Do you want strawberries in January, February, March? If so, you're taking these truckloads of strawberries.'"

For farmers like Morris and his family business, that means that sometimes he can't even sell his fresh, in-season produce to grocery outlets so close that he can practically see them from the farm. Big Ag gets there first, and are the winners of the equation. "If the Agricultural Department were to say that they were going to put a duty on strawberries coming in from the US in June, July, and August, when they're in season, there would be threats, suits," he tells me. "It's not going to happen."

As in America, the use of genetically modified seeds is also widespread; one year ago, thousands of Canadians gathered to protest Monsanto's prevalence, namely its dissemination of genetically modified seeds without adequate long-term studies to prove their safety for consumers or for the environment. Three-quarters of commercial seeds in Canada are produced by just ten companies. But the issue isn't cut and dry. According to Morris, consumers want organic sweet corn, but they also don't want corn that's genetically modified (so that it doesn't need to be sprayed with insecticides)—or corn that is more expensive. "What's a farmer supposed to do?," he shrugs. "I think the typical consumer is way, way far removed. They've lost touch with their food, and they don't know the complexities of making it. But who does really, fully understand it?"

In terms of possible solutions, Food Secure Canada has hope that the government will recognize the value of more wholesome, locally grown foods, combined with improved sustainability practices that will improve the vision of Canada's farming future. To achieve that, they also advocate for better nutritional education and more public awareness campaigns about the value of eating a diet that incorporates more local produce. Morris agrees, defining himself as a "pragmatic optimist." "I don't think that there's really anything that the government can do, but I think if Canadians are concerned about it, they need to buy locally produced food and the marketplace will look after itself. People need to vote with their food dollars. If they see US or Chilean or Mexican strawberries on the shelf in the summer, when there are locally available strawberries or asparagus available don't purchase it. Let it rot! Buy in season, freeze some of it, or figure out other ways to eat locally throughout the year."

For Canadian Thanksgiving, Morris and his family have already celebrated with a feast, and today are watching as families visit the farm to pick out pumpkins. "We are very thankful, because it's been a productive year and the crops grew well. So we'll be able to try again next year."