Regardless of the topic — be it food security, water access, or animal welfare — communicating using language that resonates with consumers is key to getting a message through.
Food insecurity is on the rise in Canada, as grocery prices have been rising for the last five years. According to Food Banks Canada, as of March 2024, food bank usage has risen by 90 per cent when compared to March 2019.
When asked if future food security is important, respondents in an Alberta Counsel focus group responded with a resounding “yes”; however when those same consumers ranked their concerns, food security is ended up close to the bottom on the list of priorities.
Food security ranked lower than expected on the focus group’s priority list when they were asked to explore the issue further, says Travis Olson of Alberta Counsel. Instead, food affordability emerged as a top concern. Olson explains that shoppers are less worried about food shortages and more concerned about whether they can afford the food available in stores.
This distinction between affordability and security is crucial when advocating for agricultural policy. As a lobbyist for Alberta Counsel, Olson advocates for corporate and producer groups, highlighting the importance of messaging that resonates with consumers—and voters, he says.
In this interview recorded at Crossroads Crop Conference in Edmonton, Alta., Olson emphasizes the importance of public support for agriculture. Using the example of water allocations in southern Alberta, the affordability argument could make politicians and the public more inclined to support increased water access for farmers, for example.
“Affordable food resonates more clearly than saying there’s going to be no food in the grocery stores. Because most people in Canada never experienced that. They’ve never gone to the grocery store and have… nothing to buy on the shelves,” says Olson.
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS | All Podcasts