News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feburary 4, 2005

(OTTAWA) - As of next Tuesday, February 8, the average Canadian has earned enough income to pay his or her grocery bill for the entire year. It's Food Freedom Day!

"When you are out this week buying your groceries, remember that you are getting some of the highest quality, safest and most affordable food in the world thanks to our Canadian farmers," said Bob Friesen, President of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA). "Think about this: Canadians will be working for many more months to pay off what they owe in taxes. But as of next week they will have made enough money to buy all their food for a year."

According to Statistics Canada, in 2003, Canadians spent 10.6 per cent of their disposable income on food. That number has dramatically decreased over the years. In 1997 Canadians spent over 12.5 per cent of their disposable income on food. By comparison, in Australia Food Freedom Day falls on February 12, in Japan - February 20, in Iceland - February 27, and Mexicans don't reach Food Freedom Day until March 4!

This Food Freedom Day the CFA wants to highlight the issue of the farmer's share of the consumer grocery dollar. Between 1997 and 2003, the price Canadian consumers paid for food increased by 13.8 per cent. By contrast, the average price received by farmers for their produce increased by only 2.1 per cent. This means the prices paid by consumers for food increased over six times more than the prices received as a return to farmers!

"Canadian farmers are proud of the products they deliver to Canadian consumers. But if we are to continue to deliver those products, at the highest possible level of quality and food safety, we need to look at the issue of the farmers' share," said Friesen. "This Food Freedom Day, as Canadians sit down to breakfast, lunch and dinner, I hope they will take a moment to think about the farmers who put those excellent foods on their tables."

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Founded in 1935 to provide Canada's farmers with a single voice in Ottawa, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture is the country's largest farmers' organization. Its members include provincial general farm organizations as well as national and inter-provincial commodity organizations from every province. Through its members, CFA represents over 200,000 Canadian farmers and farm families.