Tell your story

If Canadian pork farmers are going to continue to compete against other meat products in Canada and around the world, they need to continue to earn the trust of consumers by telling their story, said Lisa Bishop-Spencer with the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity.

The organization is focused on understanding and strengthening the trust in Canada’s food system. They use research to gather evidence of what people think about food and the food system in Canada.

The good news is the confidence in the Canadian food system is at an all-time high, Bishop-Spencer told producers and delegates at the seminar.

“Forty-five percent of Canadians now believe our food system is heading in the right direction. A 14 point increase over last year. We believe that is hinged on a pro-Canadian sentiment.”

The pro-Canada sentiment was brought on by US president Donald Trump’s anti-trade threats and musings about Canada as a 51 state. While disconcerting, it is an opportunity for Canadian pork producers to assure Canadian consumers they have one of the safest, most efficient food systems in the world.

“Most Canadians aren’t actively opposed to the food system and how it runs, they’re simply disconnected from it.”Instead of silence about how pork is raised, producers need to talk about the humane housing conditions, care of the pigs, safety of the food, and how Canada has one of the best systems for raising hogs and consuming pork.“

Silence doesn’t protect you any more. Silence creates space for others to define your story.”

Through their public trust research, she said consumers feel they can put their trust in people who are “like them,” not politicians or government officials who sit in an office.

“Look for people who are authentic and relatable. Tell your story and lead with the voice they already trust. Canadians care about their food, but their connection is fragile.”

Bishop-Spencer said people respond to stories that talk about care and are delivered with confidence and openness. These are the qualities Canadians respond with most when it comes to building trust.

Pork producers can’t rely on others to tell their story, but need to talk about how Canadian pork is affordable, the industry creates jobs and strong communities across rural Alberta. They need to talk about what they do to keep their animals, the workers and consumers safe. Farmers’ stories will help build national pride in Canada’s food system.

Maintain sustainability

Canada’s high intensity pork production will continue to be the number one way pork is produced because of its efficiency and economics, but changes will need to be made to reduce greenhouse gases and limit climate change, said an American economist and swine nutrition specialist.

“We need intensive livestock production. We need intensive pork production, but we need to make some sustainability practice changes to make those businesses viable in the future,” Jerry Shurson told delegates at the Banff Pork Seminar.

Climate change is real and it already impacts pork production in severe weather events and supply change disruptions. Pork producers need to make changes to help mitigate the impacts of climate change.

“There is a really high cost of doing nothing.”

Shurson said producers need to incorporate technology and precision livestock in their operations to help reduce their dependence on fossil fuel and make their barns, farms and fields more efficient.

“We can’t kick the can down the road and deny climate change is real. Eventually we need to make changes. Why should we focus on sustainability? We have to do a better job of protecting the environment.”

Shurson said farmers need to start by documenting all the ways they are making their farm more sustainable and ensuring their farm is environmentally sustainable. That documentation helps not only the farm’s bottom line, but improves public perception of agriculture and will be available if the market requires the changes.

“The changes don’t need to be costly to be sustainable. Some of those may increase efficiency and productivity. At the same time they reduce the environmental footprint.”

Producers need to focus on reducing their greenhouse gas emissions by reducing nitrogen and phosphorus waste and optimizing land use and water. He suggests finding ways to reduce synthetic fertilizer and managing swine manure, reduce pesticides, reduce feed loss and waste. He also suggests transferring from fossil fuels to renewable energy where possible.

Despite the challenges, Shurson said large scale agriculture will continue to be the way food is produced.

Producer thoughts

After one day at the Banff Pork Seminar, Nathan Stahl of Whitesand Colony, near Stettler, is still processing all the information he has learned. It’s Stahl’s first time at the conference and he is taking in as much information as he can to share with the rest of the staff at the colony barn.

“I try to write down everything and discuss it with the team,” said Stahl.

One of his biggest takeaways from the conference was that modern sows are better equipped to handle large litters than in previous years.

“Today’s sows can do more with less labour,” he said.

It was Benny Tschetter’s, of Mountain View Colony near Strathmore, fourth time at the conference and said he always goes home with new and important information.

“There are people here that know more about hogs than I do. I am just grateful to ask questions. You can take so much out of these meetings,” said Tschetter, who especially enjoyed the production sessions.

“It is a great place to interact with other producers and meet prairie swine officials. You can spend time with breeder and feeder companies and it is a nice getaway.”

Alastair Bratton, chair of Alberta Pork, said he also appreciated this year’s line up with practical breakout sessions. With strong prices, the delegates were optimistic about the hog industry and its future.

“When was the last time we had three profitable years in a row? You’ve got to go back to the 2000s. I think that will keep things moving forward,” said Bratton.

While hog production has been profitable, Bratton doesn’t know if many producers will be investing in new hog barns, but will likely make small changes to their existing barns. He doesn’t see many farmers making costly investments in renewable energy or heat pumps on their old buildings.

“I don’t see any money going into the industry in western Canada. Most of western Canadian investment happened in late 90s early 2000 and there has been very little building apart from the colonies since then. Are you going to spend half a million dollars on solar on a building that maybe will not last till it’s paid off,” said Bratton.

With packing plants at maximum capacity, Bratton doesn’t anticipate any producers building more barns in western Canada when the packers are already full. Two new packing plants expected to be built in Ontario in the next two years should relieve some of the pressure on western Canadian packing plants, he said.

“Until there is more packing capacity in western Canada I don’t see any expansion on this side.”

What Bratton can see farmers doing is putting a price on the manure that is rich in nutrients. Instead of paying to spread the manure on fields, they hope to recoup some value for the manure, estimated at up to $320 per acre. It is one more way to become more efficient and reduce costs.

Conference Finish

Murray Pettitt, CEO of the Prairie Swine Centre, and wrap up speaker said this year’s conference focused on giving producers information they could use.“As a committee we focused on bringing you speakers and information dealing with production challenges that often can be an issues and hopefully you will find some of this information beneficial to your operation no matter where you work in the industry.”He thanked the 62 sponsors who donated $178,000, an average of $222 per registrant. The sponsorship helped reduce the registration fee for those attending the seminar.In total there were 804 registrants, up from last year’s registration.“It is most satisfying to see this strong, on-going support for the Banff Pork Seminar.”The next conference is set for January 5-7, 2027. •— By Mary MacArthur