Dairy Farming Forward – High Standards highlights the progressive practices Canadian dairy farmers implement
By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com
Dairy Farmers of Canada has launched a new campaign to help build trust among consumers.
The Dairy Farming Forward – High Standards campaign aims to inform Canadian millennials about dairy farming practices.
The campaign kicked off June 21 and will feature TV, radio, social media and other digital components. It will run nationally until Aug. 2 and includes a Canada Day TV partnership with CBC and Radio-Canada.
Canadian farmers and influencers will also be part of the campaign.
Millennials accounted for nearly 30 per cent of the Canadian population, Statistics Canada reported in 2019.
And many of them live in urban areas like Toronto, Ont. Montreal, Que. Or Vancouver, B.C. and may not understand what happens on a Canadian dairy farm.
“We know (millennials) have questions about (dairy farming),” Pamela Nalewajek, vice president of marketing with Dairy Farmers of Canada, told Farms.com. “This campaign will show them hard work, a side of dairy farming they can relate to, and stringent standards, because those are the areas consumers want to be able to see and have a better understanding.”
Canadian dairy farmers meet some of the highest dairy quality standards in the world.
These include 42 requirements on food safety and ensuring every Canadian dairy cow is monitored every day.
Showing this work and commitment helps consumers identify the Blue Cow logo and the Canadian dairy sector as trustworthy, Nalewajek said.
“Our research has shown there’s a lack of knowledge because people just don’t have the opportunity to see how our dairy farmers are working and contributing to the Canadian economy,” she said. “We know Canadian consumers shop on their values and we want to show what the Blue Cow logo stands for.”
And Canadian dairy farmers are proud of their work.
Following high animal care and production standards helps set Canadian dairy producers apart from those in other jurisdictions.
"Canadian dairy farmers have always been innovative in their approach to excellence," Pierre Lampron, president of Dairy Farmers of Canada, said in a statement. "Meeting some of the most stringent standards in the world, 100% Canadian milk achieves its high quality through a big-picture approach that includes caring for animals and the environment."