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Wildlife diseases, such as Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) are growing in prevalence in ungulates in western Canada with many questions being asked about the impact on ecosystems and peoples. A collaborative research project involving a university and a regional Indigenous organization was initiated in 2007 to explore how CWD risk is being communicated to Indigenous peoples, how associated risk is being interpreted and the extent to which information about CWD and perceived risk is affecting harvest and food security. Data collected between 2008–2018 with 105 harvesters from 22 northern Alberta communities reporting about hunting in roughly 61 management units (WMU) confirm previous research about the importance of moose, white-tailed deer and mule deer to the diets of Indigenous peoples. Findings affirm the significance of ungulates to the food security of Indigenous peoples in western Canada with over 97 % of respondents reporting their motivation for harvest of moose (Alces alces), white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) being food. Insights about risk communication and perception of CWD are also highlighted with the most significant finding being the high level of concern of harvesters in all areas and all years of the study. A second key finding relates to the relationship between information received about CWD which declined from 2008 to 2018 despite significant increases in the number of positive cases of CWD in Alberta. A third key finding is the importance of Indigenous Knowledge; over 97 % of respondents shared indicators of healthy moose and deer which they use to assess animals in hunting. This high degree of confidence in their own knowledge may suggest Indigenous knowledge is a mediator of risk perception (i.e., hunters are confident they can find and harvest a health animal despite the rising number of CWD cases). Although Indigenous right to lands and resources including wildlife harvesting have been little respected in the past, recognition of such rights, as well as Indigenous knowledge, is key to moving forward and developing more collaborative approaches to monitoring and managing the growing threat of CWD and other wildlife disease.

Across North America dairy processors are facing financial difficulties, yet a Canadian processor continues to grow through acquisitions of its competitors. This company, Saputo, grew up in a highly regulated marketplace where input raw milk supplies are restricted, input prices are inflated and imports of final product are restricted. This study asks if the Canadian system of dairy supply management prodded and assisted Saputo into making acquisitions at home and abroad. An empirical model estimates the probability of Saputo making acquisitions as a function of factors influenced by supply management and control variables accounting for Saputo’s financial performance. The results indicate that cash flows, which may be increased by regulatory rents, and a measure of restrictiveness of the Canadian milk supply, both are statistically significant positive determinants of the probability that Saputo will make an acquisition. On average over the estimation period removing the Canadian supply managed regime would reduce the probability of acquisitions by 7%. The implication is that the Canadian system is losing investment and employment opportunities by retaining its restrictive regulatory system.

COVID‐19 continues to impose a series of unique challenges on the food retail and food service sectors in Canada. In May 2020, the expectation was that the public health crisis shutdowns of the restaurant sector would be temporary. Although we may still be in a much longer temporary than was originally envisaged, it is becoming clearer that permanent restructuring may also have happened. Grocery stores have solidified their changed realities through an increased focus on multiple channel retailing rather than a complete choice between either bricks and mortar or online. Increased costs, resulting from the pandemic, are continuing to filter through the food system and we have a growing problem with food security for some Canadians given that employment in January 2021 was found to be at its lowest level since August 2020. Unemployment moves directly with lockdowns that are varied across the country.

In this study, Canadian household meat consumption behavior in exotic (deer and elk meat) and traditional meats (beef, pork, chicken, turkey, bison, and seafood) is examined. This research introduces some differences in public response to transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) risks across consumer segments from different sources of meat supply, including hunted meat. The analysis uses a combination of survey and household meat purchase data that include a balanced household panel of 2,393 households per year across time. A two‐step estimation procedure is used with a probit model in the first step (consume or not) and a doublelog–translog two‐stage demand system in the second step (level of consumption). It is assumed and tested that household sociodemographics, consumers’ risk perceptions/attitudes, and media coverage of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and chronic wasting disease (CWD) are underlying demand shifters in consumers’ daily meat purchase decision. The results suggest that households who obtain venison from hunting show the highest confidence in venison safety. Exotic meat preferences negatively affect traditional meat consumption in the daily diets of households who purchase traditional meats from stores and obtain venison from hunting. In response to the media coverage of BSE and CWD, exotic meat eaters are less sensitive to animal disease media information than the general population. L'importance des evaluations ou des avis des clients dans les achats en ligne a ete reconnue dans la litterature; cependant, peu ont etudie comment les notes des clients en ligne affectent l'achat de produits frais par les consommateurs et son importance par rapport aux autres attributs des produits frais. La qualite des produits frais montre une grande incertitude et variation; par consequent, l'impact du contenu genere par les utilisateurs, comme les notes des clients sur le choix des produits frais, est possiblement plus complexe que pour d'autres categories de produits. De plus, les etudes precedentes sur les evaluations des clients n'ont pas examine la majoration de prix que les detaillants peuvent obtenir sur la base de meilleures evaluations des produits frais. En utilisant une approche de preference declaree (c.‐a‐d. une experience de choix), cette etude mesure la volonte de payer pour un score de notation client plus eleve et explore son importance relative pour d'autres attributs populaires de produits frais (c.‐a‐d. biologique, lieu d'origine et duree de conservation). Les resultats montrent que l'evaluation des clients est le deuxieme attribut le plus important apres le lieu d'origine et est plus importante que les methodes de production (par exemple, biologiques et cultivees naturellement) pour les achats de fraises fraiches. De plus, les scores de notation demontrent un impact marginal decroissant sur la volonte de payer des consommateurs. Les jeunes consommateurs et les menages avec enfants sont prets a payer plus pour des produits frais avec des notes elevees que ceux avec des notes basses.

Genetic improvement of health, welfare, efficiency, and fertility traits is challenging due to expensive and fuzzy phenotypes, the polygenic nature of traits, antagonistic genetic correlations to production traits and low heritabilities. Nevertheless, many organizations have introduced large-scale genetic evaluations for such traits in routine selection indexes. Medium and high-density arrays can be applied in genomic selection strategies to improve breeding value accuracy, and also in genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to identify causative mutations responsible for economically important traits. Genomic information is particularly helpful when traits have low heritability. The objective here is to provide a framework for including health, welfare, efficiency, and fertility traits taken from large-scale genetic and genomic analyses and identifying areas of potential improvement in terms of trait definition and performance testing. General tendencies between trait groups confirmed that a number of moderate unfavourable correlations (+/-0.20 or higher) exist between economically important trait complexes and health, welfare, and fertility traits. A number of trait complexes were identified in which “closer-to-biology” phenotypes could provide clear improvements to routine genetic and genomic selection programs. Here we outline development of these phenotypes and describe their collection. While conventional variance component estimation methods have underpinned the genomic component of some traits of economic interest, performance testing for health, welfare, efficiency, and fertility traits remains an elusive goal for breeding programs. Although our results are encouraging, there is much to be done in terms of trait definition and obtaining better measures of physiological parameters for wide-scale application in breeding programs. Close collaboration between veterinarians, physiologists, and geneticists is necessary to attain meaningful advancement in such areas. We would like to acknowledge the support and funding from all national and international partners involved in the RDGP project through the Large Scale Applied Research Project program from Genome Canada

In 2016, second‐generation genetically modified (GM) potatoes were approved for production and sale in Canada. In this study, we analyze how consumer acceptance of GM potatoes may be affected by various factors, including the trait introduced (i.e., the product benefits), the type of breeding technology used, and the developer of the potato using any technology. We conduct an online survey and use a stated choice experiment to collect data on consumer acceptance of GM and other potatoes in Canada. Random utility models are used to analyze the economic value consumers place on the various attributes of the potatoes. Our results show that consumers are willing to pay more for a health attribute (reduced acrylamide produced when potatoes are fried) and an environmental attribute. Respondents in general need to face discounted prices to buy potatoes created by either gene editing or GM (either transgenic or cisgenic/intragenic) technologies. However, consumers are in general more accepting of the gene editing technology than the GM technologies. Our results also show that government is the most preferred developer of the potatoes, regardless of technology. Results from this study can help guide public and private management of the introduction of new foods when the products are developed with unpopular technologies.

This paper presents an assessment of emerging livestock-based greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation schemes that link the uptake of environmentally beneficial breeding practices to carbon offset schemes. Using the example of genomic selection for feed efficiency by cattle producers in Alberta Canada, we explored the potential effect of spatial heterogeneity on producer incentive to participate in these schemes. We model three representative cow-calf operations in three agroecological zones and incorporate region specific breeding, economic and environmental factors. Our results show that environmental and economic outcomes differ spatially, and that the additional revenue from the existing offset scheme is inadequate to incentivize producers in specific regions. The priority for policy makers is to implement a differential payment scheme that accounts for specific sources of spatial heterogeneity in environmental and economic tradeoffs.

Although beef and dairy production in Alberta, Canada, enjoys strong public support, there are enduring public concerns, including farm animal welfare. Evolving codes of practice and animal care councils prescribe changes and improvements to many areas of farm management, and may be seen by farmers as an appropriate response to public animal welfare concerns. However, codes of practice do not address every animal welfare concern, and new concerns can arise over time. Drawing on social practice theory and in-depth field research with 36 cattle and dairy farmers, this paper explores the materials, competencies, and meanings of four animal husbandry practices: branding, dehorning, weaning, and on-farm handling and moving. Findings show that branding and dehorning are evolving slowly with attention to pain management, but remain firmly rooted in ranching tradition and communities of practice. Weaning and animal handling practices are evolving more quickly with attention to changing materials, attitudes, and values that are more prevalent within producer communities.

Plant competition belowground is a crucial factor that determines plant fitness and shapes plant communities. It has been shown that roots possess the ability to recognize between self and non-self individuals and modify their growth patterns accordingly. Roots may also be further able to discriminate between kin and non-kin roots. Competition is stronger with non-kin than kin neighbors, but whether root growth patterns determined by kin interactions are modified in stressful environments is largely unexplored. In this study we used two different experimental set-ups to confirm whether the clonal species Glechoma hederacea exhibits kin recognition between roots, and 88 89 how water limitation modifies this response. A split-root design was conducted using a focal clonal fragment of G. hederacea placed onto the ridge that separated two adjacent containers: either square petri-dishes boxes with 200 ml of soil or 400 ml clear pots. Focal plants were randomly allocated to either growing alone or in competition with another G. hederacea ramet (of similar size taken from the same stolon as the focal plant) or a non-kin individual (a ramet selected from a different population). A water limitation treatment was applied to both experiments. Five root parameters were measured during the experiment using boxes: the maximum depth and the maximum width of the deepest root, the depth and the maximum width of the widest root, and the total number of roots visible. All plants were harvested after 36 days and several final root measurements were taken and analyzed using GiaRoots. Our results show that G. hederacea roots have kin recognition mechanisms, showing a significant tendency to avoid growing toward a non-kin neighbor but not avoiding the roots of a kin plant, even though the presence of a kin plant modifies root distribution within the soil. As expected, water limitation significantly affected plant growth and root parameters, but this effect was not related to neighbor kin identity. Taken together, our results confirm the existence of root recognition in this species and suggest that the mechanisms of kin recognition are probably related to a root-derived chemical cues, as recognition took place before physical contact occurred.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to assess the differences in individual purchasing and voting decisions for livestock products, produced with lower levels of antibiotic use or higher levels of environmental sustainability, by consumers with different degrees of agreement with moral foundation statements. Design/methodology/approach Data are collected from two national online surveys that were conducted in Canada in 2016 and 2017, including socio-demographic, attitude, belief and stated choice questions. Data are analysed using hierarchical cluster analysis and ordered probit regressions. Findings Respondents who strongly agree with the individualizing moral foundation statements are more likely to buy more environmentally sustainable milk/yogurt and pork from pigs that are raised with reduced antibiotic use, as compared to respondents who have weaker agreement with the statements. Respondents with stronger agreement with the moral foundation statements are also more likely to vote in favour of stricter livestock environmental standards and disease protocols. Research limitations/implications Monitoring people’s moral concerns might help in predicting consumers’ responses to new or different production practices. Originality/value Although moral foundations have been linked to other purchase decisions, in this study, the focus is on specific aspects of environmental sustainability and antibiotic use in livestock production. Both of these challenging issues are controversial and facing either regulatory changes (antibiotic use in livestock) or significant livestock production changes (responding to concerns that livestock production is less sustainable than plant production) in most developed countries. Understanding the linkages between fundamental beliefs and probable consumer behaviour will assist in predicting negative or positive outcomes to the regulatory or industry-based changes to livestock production. Differences between an individual’s desire to be able to identify products with certain attributes for purchase vs an individual’s desire to have government regulate industries to higher standards, in both contexts, will also be linked to the individual’s level of moral foundation beliefs.

In this study, Canadian consumers’ preferences for enhanced carnosine (a naturally occurring dipeptide that exhibits antiaging properties) in pork are examined. Carnosine is a relatively unknown nutrient to the public such that we are interested in understanding the relative merits of informing consumers of enhanced carnosine levels through a possible health claim, a nutrient content claim or including it in the nutrition facts table (NFT). As a basis of comparison, we include two other possible labels, a protein nutrient content claim, and a Verified Canadian Pork label (created by industry identifying food safety, animal care, traceability, and farm to table quality assurance attributes of the production system). Data were collected through an online survey that included a choice experiment and were analyzed using conditional logit and random parameters logit models. Compared to carnosine (as a functional attribute), consumers prefer the identification of protein content. In terms of labeling carnosine, consumers have higher willingness to pay for carnosine content included in a NFT than for nutrient or health claims. Higher levels of nutrition knowledge are associated with higher willingness to pay for the different pork attributes.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how individual’s health beliefs, nutrition knowledge (NK) and attitudes towards food technologies play a role in the anti-consumption of dairy products or the consumption of dairy alternatives. Design/methodology/approach Self-reported data concerning the consumption of milk, yogurt and dairy products in general were collected online among 1,705 adults in Canada. Also included in the survey instrument were measures of NK and health beliefs as well as questions from the food technology neophobia scale. Anti-consumption of milk, yogurt and dairy as well as alternative dairy consumption as a function of these characteristics, in addition to demographic characteristics, is analysed using probit models. Findings Individuals who demonstrate resistance to innovations in food technology, those with lower levels of dairy-specific NK, and people who have less belief that dairy avoidance will have negative impacts on their health are more likely to be anti-consumers of milk and/or yogurt. The same is true for dairy products in general with the exception that people with higher levels of dairy-specific NK are more likely to be anti-consumers of dairy products in general. Originality/value Inadequate intake of calcium and vitamin D has negative consequences for long-term health. Given that dairy products are the primary source of these nutrients in the Canadian diet, it is important to understand the reasons behind dairy anti-consumption so that appropriate policy measures can be taken to address potential public health issues.

Using survey data from Canada, the United States, and Japan, we assess the relationship between both generalized trust in people and agent-specific trust regarding food safety and consumer perceptions about bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and chronic wasting disease (CWD). We find evidence that generalized trust in people is negatively related to consumers’ risk perceptions about BSE and CWD mainly in Canada. Trust measures for specific agents who might affect food safety risk also have mixed effects on consumers’ risk perceptions across the regions surveyed and between the two diseases. Monitoring public’s generalized trust in people and trust in food agents could generally assist in the short-term estimates of the impact of future animal disease incidents on consumption of meat products. [EconLit citation: D120, Q130, I190].

The Malayalis Tribe, a Scheduled Tribe of the Kolli Hills in southern India, has experienced a decrease in the variety of foods consumed in the past 20 years. It is important to understand these changes in dietary patterns to inform future interventions to improve dietary diversity. This study aimed to investigate the perceived factors and experiences from participants belonging to different age groups and genders that have affected changes in dietary variety in the Kolli Hills over the past 20 years. An ethnographic approach was used for the study. Data collection methods included semi-structured focus group discussions, informal individual interviews, and participant observations. Inductive thematic analysis was used to analyze themes related to the research questions. Results suggest that dietary diversity has declined and a smaller number of foods are consumed from grain products, fruits, vegetables and meat products. The main reasons for the decrease in dietary variety include an increased reliance on market systems (linked with an increase in cassava cash cropping) to obtain food and a lack of financial resources to purchase a variety of foods for consumption. Intergenerational changes in taste preferences influenced the types of foods consumed in the household. Drudgery associated with preparing traditional millets for consumption made it a less favorable choice in comparison to subsidized rice purchased through Fair Price Shops. The findings from this study are important to understand the changes in dietary patterns from the perspective of community members and will help inform future interventions to improve dietary diversity in the Kolli Hills.

Consumers’ trust in general and specifically in food system agents may reduce uncertainties when they make choices among credence attributes such as production methods. In this study, we assess the linkages between consumers’ trust (generalized and institutional trust) and their preferences for traditionally raised pork. Data were collected through an online survey including a stated preference experiment in Canada in 2011. Results suggest that both low and high trusting consumers are willing to pay significant premiums for traditionally raised pork over conventional pork. Willingness to pay values are higher for the high trust group as compared to the low trust group. Respondents with higher levels of trust rated traditionally raised pork more positively (in comparison to conventional pork) in terms of taste, freshness, safety, healthiness, and not containing hormones and antibiotics as compared to those respondents who have lower levels of trust. Government certification of traditionally raised pork is important for both consumers with low and high trust. The fact that high trust respondents were more in favor of this production credence attribute suggests that providing it in the market may require additional efforts to convince more of the lower trust individuals that this attribute is worth additional expenditure. La confiance generale et plus precisement pour les agents du systeme alimentaire pourrait reduire l'incertitude des consommateurs lorsqu'ils choisissent parmi des caracteristiques liees a la confiance comme les methodes de production. Cette etude tente de comprendre le lien entre la confiance du consommateur (generale et institutionnelles) et leur preference pour la production traditionnelle de porc. Les donnees ont ete recueillies par sondage sur le Web incluant une experience de preferences prescrites au Canada en 2011. Les resultats de modeles logits aux parametres conditionnels et aleatoires suggerent que les consommateurs ayant un niveau de confiance eleve, ainsi que ceux en demontrant un niveau inferieur sont disposes a payer des sommes supplementaires pour du porc de production traditionnelle au desavantage de celui de production conventionnelle. Les valeurs de la volonte de payer sont plus elevees chez le groupe demontrant une plus grande confiance que chez celui qui demontre un plus faible niveau de confiance. Les repondants ayant des niveaux de confiance plus eleves ont cote le porc de production traditionnelle plus positivement (en comparaison au porc d'elevage conventionnel) en matiere de gout, de fraicheur, de securite, de sante et d'absence d'hormones et d'antibiotiques, en comparaison a ceux ayant demontre un moindre niveau de confiance. La certification gouvernementale de porc de production traditionnelle est importante, a la fois pour les consommateurs a grande et faible confiance. La plus importante proportion de repondants a confiance elevee se disant en faveur de cette caracteristique de confiance suggere que sa disponibilite au sein du marche pourrait necessiter de considerables efforts pour convaincre les repondants demontrant une plus faible confiance de sa valeur ajoutee.

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) found in both farmed and wild deer, elk, and moose in the United States and Canada. Surveillance efforts in North America identified the geographical distribution of the disease and mechanisms underlying distribution, although the possibility of transmission to other cervids, including caribou, and noncervids, including humans, is not well understood. Because of the documented importance of caribou (Rangifer tarandus) to human populations in the northern regions of Canada, a risk-management strategy for CWD requires an understanding of the extent of potential dietary exposure to CWD. Secondary 24-h dietary recalls conducted among Inuvialuit and Inuit in 4 communities in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut were employed in this study. Econometric demand systems were estimated to model the impacts of individual- and community-level socioeconomic characteristics on expenditures on caribou and other foods, in order to examine the households' ability to consume other foods in response to changing levels of caribou consumption. Thirty-five percent of respondents reported consuming caribou in the survey period, and caribou comprised, on average, 26% of daily dietary intake by weight, or approximately 65 g/d, across individuals in the 4 communities. Consuming caribou was also shown to exert positive impacts on dietary quality, as measured by calorie intake and dietary diversity. Communities with less access to employment, income and food stores are predicted to be constrained in their ability to obtain an adequate diet in the event of scarcity of caribou meat.

There is a growing trend of consumers in developed countries substituting alternative protein sources for meat and purchasing meat products with specific production-system related credence attributes. This study of Australian meat consumers identifies consumer segments with varying levels of willingness to make the following changes to their protein consumption: reduce meat consumption, follow a meat-free diet most of the time, avoid meat consumption altogether, and follow a strict plant-based diet (i.e., stop eating all animal-products). Segments are characterised, and predictors of segment membership are determined. Discrete Factor analysis, based on a nationally-representative sample of 287 Australian meat consumers surveyed in 2016, identified four unique segments. Findings show that 46% of consumers are not willing to make any changes to their meat/protein consumption ('Committed Meat Eaters'), 22% are willing to reduce meat consumption ('Willing Meat Reducers'), 15% are willing to stop meat consumption/consume plant-based protein foods only ('Prospective Veg*ns'), and 17% are undecided about future change ('Undecided Meat Eaters'). The key factor differentiating Committed Meat Eaters from other segments is the perception that food choices are inadequate in meat-free diets. Committed Meat Eaters are also less likely to believe livestock farming contributes to climate change, and to report a recent reduction in the consumption of at least one type of meat than are Willing Meat Reducers and Prospective Veg*ns. These findings are expected to be of interest to individuals and organisations who may play a role in meeting current and future consumer demand for meat and alternative protein products.

This article introduces the special section on consumers and trust. It discusses how the concept of trust has been treated in the literature and identifies concepts of institutional trust and generalized trust that permeate much of the trust literature. An introduction to the five papers in the special section is provided and common themes across the papers are identified. The papers in the special section provide new empirical insights into the drivers and outcomes of consumer trust in food, with applications to environmental attributes, nanotechnology and functional food, as well as a focus on the relationship between firm-level initiatives (cause-related marketing, branding) and consumer trust. A common policy theme throughout the papers, across different study contexts and in different countries, is that institutional trust remains important and is a shared responsibility across public and private sector actors.

This study considered the range of ethical issues and potential stakeholder priorities associated with the application of genomic technologies applied to animal production systems, in particular those which utilised genomic technologies in accelerated breeding rather than the application of genetic modification. A literature review was used to inform the development of an ethical matrix, which was used to scope the potential perspectives of different agents regarding the acceptability of genomic technologies, as opposed to genetic modification (GM) techniques applied to animal production systems. There are very few studies carried out on stakeholder (including consumer) attitudes regarding the application of genomics to animal production in the human food chain and it may be that this technology is perceived as no more than an extension of traditional breeding techniques. While this is an area which needs more research, it would appear from this study that genomics, because it avoids many of the disadvantages and consumer perceptions associated with GM, is likely to prove a more publicly acceptable route than is GM for the development of healthier and more productive animals. However, stakeholders also need to have an approach to the moral status of the animals involved that finds credibility and acceptability with civil society.

Traditional Knowledge (TK) is increasingly valued in long-term monitoring of wildlife health, particularly in northern Canada where Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) may represent a threat to valued caribou and moose populations. This article presents comparative research results (1998–2002 and 2010) about caribou and moose health based on research with Łutsel K’e First Nation, Northwest Territories (Canada). Elders’ knowledge, harvester observations, harvest data and consumption data indicate a decline in the availability of barren ground caribou and range shifts of both caribou and moose during the study period. An anomalous sighting of a white tailed deer near the community, coupled with moderate community concerns about CWD would suggest the need for greater monitoring of wildlife health. As resources for scientific monitoring become limited, the article suggests how northern Indigenous communities can use their own knowledge (TK) to monitor changes in arctic ecosystems.

Quality of pork from pigs raised either traditionally (outdoor access or bedded settings with no sub-therapeutic antibiotics or growth promotants in feed) or conventionally (commercial indoor) was evaluated. Pork loins (m. longissimus thoracis et lumborum, LTL) from four hundred pigs from either traditional or conventional production systems (n=200) fed commercially formulated diets ad libitum were harvested at slaughter. Intramuscular crude fat content and lean color (L* and b*) values were significantly decreased in conventional pork loins. LTL from conventionally-raised pig carcasses showed increased (P

Past studies have shown that country of origin labeling (COOL) affects consumers’ demand for food products. However, besides the rationale of ethnocentrism or the desire to support domestic farmers, the underlying motivation for such behavior is not well understood. This study assesses consumers’ preferences for imported and domestic beef through a choice experiment. We found that willingness to pay for country-of-origin labeled imported beefsteak is associated with (a) consumers’ perceptions of the categorical risk from consuming beef, (b) consumers’ risk aversion to risks from beef consumption, and (c) consumers’ perceptions of the food-safety level of imported beef. Results from this study suggest that the advantage of domestic beef over imported beef can be partly explained by consumers’ risk handling behavior. [EconLit citations: Q130].

In this study, the objective was to examine whether or not changes in bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) concerns exert an effect on people's risk perceptions and risk attitudes regarding consuming beef in Canada, 8 years after finding the first domestic animal with BSE. Data were collected from two surveys (2071 respondents) conducted with the same respondents in 2008 and 2011 in Canada. Data on meat consumption for the same households were also available from the Nielsen Homescan panel over the period 2002 to 2009. Based on census data, the current sample is generally not representative of the Canadian population, but the sample is unique in that the same individuals responded to two surveys and there is an ability to track their evolving household purchases of beef before the first survey and between the two surveys. In essence, alterations in beef risk perceptions are significantly influenced by changes in concerns regarding (1) feed given to livestock, (2) animal diseases and BSE, (3) trust in manufacturers, the government, and farmers, and (4) demographic characteristics. There were significant differences in beef purchases across households, with alterations to their risk perceptions and risk attitudes. In conclusion, although the first domestic incident of BSE was in 2003, concerns regarding BSE are still contributing to consumers' risk perceptions but not to their risk attitudes with respect to consumption of beef in 2011.

In recent years, a significant amount of research has focussed on the analysis of consumers' aversion to new technologies in food production and processing. At the same time, research has shown that environmental attitudes may be related to purchasing behaviour of consumers. This paper presents the result of an investigation into Canadian attitudes towards nanotechnology, in general, and in applications in the food industry. The relationship between the food technology neophobia scale, environmental attitudes and nanotechnology is examined. The results suggest that food technology neophobia is significant in explaining attitudes towards nanotechnology, in general, and for food packaging and foods. Environmental attitudes are important in explaining respondents' attitudes towards nanotechnology in general but not in explaining attitudes towards nanotechnology in food packaging or food applications. Survey respondents' views of the role of science and technology in society (makes society worse or better off) are a more important determinant of attitudes towards nanotechnology than whether they had heard of nanotechnology prior to the survey.

Traceability systems are becoming an important tool for tracking, monitoring and managing product flows through food supply chains. Traceability can be used as a method of certifying production, processing and nutritional credence attributes of food products. Environmentally sustainable production is a credence attribute that is gaining in importance in the eyes of consumers. In this research, the importance of traceability in verifying environmentally sustainable production practices is examined. The data were collected in online surveys related to consumer's perceptions and concerns about food safety, trust and reported behaviour related to meat consumption in three countries – Canada, the US and Japan. Determinants of traceability in verifying environmentally sustainable production practices include respondents' locus of control about food safety, food purchasing characteristics such as whether they normally buy organic products or shop at supermarkets and general traits such as worry and trust. In comparing across countries, there are significant differences in the interests in traceability to verify environmentally sustainable production practices and in the determinants of level of importance ascribed.

In spite of much analysis of the impact of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) on consumer perceptions and meat purchases, there has been little explicit analysis of the level of BSE knowledge. In this study the role of knowledge about BSE was examined in Canada, the United States, and Japan. In addition, the level of knowledge was linked to human health concerns regarding BSE and whether there is agreement with paying a premium for beef with BSE animal tests. From a public policy perspective, understanding whether higher or lower knowledge is linked to public concern and desire for market intervention might help in the design of risk communication in any future animal disease outbreak. Should lack of knowledge about the disease be related to a public desire for market intervention (animal testing, for example), then an increase in detailed information about how humans might contract the disease might change public pressure for intervention. As compared to U.S. and Canadian respondents, Japanese respondents are more knowledgeable regarding the ways in which humans might be exposed to the human variant of BSE (variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, vCJD) and are more concerned about the disease. However, U.S. respondents are more willing to pay a premium for beef tested to ensure that it will not result in vCJD. Japanese respondents who are more knowledgeable about BSE are more concerned about the risk of BSE to human health. In Canada, subjects who are more knowledgeable about the ways in which humans attain vCJD are less concerned about the risk of BSE to human health. Knowledge of the ways in which humans develop vCJD does not significantly influence concerns about the risk of BSE to human health in the United States or willingness to pay for BSE-tested beef in any of the three countries. The links between knowledge and concerns about BSE and between knowledge and agreement with paying premiums for BSE-tested beef were estimated for each country using ordered probit regressions.

The objective of this study is to quantify the impact of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) on Canadian household meat-purchasing behavior, distinguished by varying risk perceptions and risk attitudes. Using panel data from 2002 to 2007 and a survey conducted in January 2008, households are clustered by the survey respondent's risk perceptions and attitudes toward beef. For each cluster, two-stage meat demand systems are constructed, incorporating the demographic characteristics of the households and BSE media coverage. The analysis for the entire panel and for each of the clusters suggests that beef risk attitudes and perceptions do affect household-purchasing behavior. Households with lower willingness to accept the risks of eating beef have more elastic beef demand and more willingness to substitute beef for other meats as compared to the household clusters with higher willingness to accept the risks of eating beef. BSE media coverage has stronger negative influences on households with lower willingness to accept the risks of beef. Across the entire sample, beef demand is more responsive to media coverage of BSE after the May 2003 domestic BSE case. La presente etude vise a quantifier les repercussions de l’ESB (encephalopathie spongiforme bovine) sur le comportement d’achat de viande des menages canadiens, selon la perception du risque et l’attitude a l’egard du risque. A l’aide de donnees de panel de 2002 a 2007 et d’une enquete realisee en janvier 2008, nous avons groupe les repondants selon leur perception du risque et leur attitude a l’egard du risque liea la consommation de bœuf. Pour chaque grappe, nous avons elabore des modeles de demande de viande en deux etapes qui integrent les caracteristiques demographiques des menages et la couverture mediatique de l’ESB. L’analyse du panel et de chaque grappe autorise a penser que l’attitude a l’egard du risque et la perception du risque liea la consommation de bœuf influencent le comportement d’achat des menages. Les menages qui sont moins disposes a accepter le risque liea la consommation de bœuf affichent une demande de bœuf plus elastique et sont plus enclins a substituer le bœuf par d’autres viandes comparativement aux menages qui sont plus disposes a accepter le risque liea la consommation de bœuf. La couverture mediatique de l’ESB a une influence beaucoup plus negative sur les menages qui sont moins disposes a accepter le risque liea la consommation de bœuf. Dans tout l’echantillon, la couverture mediatique de l’ESB apres la decouverte du cas d’ESB au Canada en mai 2003 a influence la demande de bœuf.

In this study the dynamics of risk perceptions related to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) held by Canadian consumers and cow-calf producers were evaluated. Since the first domestic case of BSE in 2003, Canadian consumers and cow-calf producers have needed to make decisions on whether or not their purchasing/production behavior should change. Such changes in their behavior may relate to their levels of risk perceptions about BSE, risk perceptions that may be evolving over time and be affected by BSE media information available. An econometric analysis of the behavior of consumers and cow-calf producers might identify the impacts of evolving BSE risk perceptions. Risk perceptions related to BSE are evaluated through observed market behavior, an approach that differs from traditional stated preference approaches to eliciting risk perceptions at a particular point in time. BSE risk perceptions may be specified following a Social Amplification of Risk Framework (SARF) derived from sociology, psychology, and economics. Based on the SARF, various quality and quantity indices related to BSE media information are used as explanatory variables in risk perception equations. Risk perceptions are approximated using a predictive difference approach as defined by Liu et al. (1998). Results showed that Canadian consumer and cow-calf producer risk perceptions related to BSE have been amplified or attenuated by both quantity and quality of BSE media information. Government policies on risk communications need to address the different roles of BSE information in Canadian consumers' and cow-calf producers' behavior.

The Efficient Dairy Genome Project is an international research initiative led by Canada that brings together research and industry experts and is focused on developing genomic selection tools for improving feed efficiency (FE) and decreasing methane emissions (ME) in dairy cattle. Genotypes and phenotypic data for FE, ME, and milk MIR spectral data from research herds in six countries are being collated in a secure project database for the continuous data exchange among country members. Consolidated data will be used to implement genomic evaluations for the novel traits using a combined reference population. As the 4-year project enters its final year, results in various areas are accumulating: structural variants, economic weights and selection index, consumer and producer level social studies. The project generated whole-genome sequences for 32 Holstein bulls which was combined with existing sequence data on another 451 Holstein animals from previous projects. This information has been used to find structural variants in the genome that may be contributing to or affecting these traits. Such variants will help us understand the underlying biology of these traits and/or serve as genetic markers to select desired animals.

This analysis employed a highly disaggregated household data set of Alberta and Ontario fast food purchases from May 2000 to May 2005. A double-hurdle count data model allowed tests of the hypotheses that frequency of Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) media coverage affected neither a household's monthly probability of purchasing a beef entree, nor the household's monthly quantity of beef entrees purchased. Ontario consumers were more likely to stop purchasing beef entrees immediately following a surge in BSE media coverage, but those who did buy beef entrees maintained stable quantity levels. BSE media coverage did not systematically affect fast food purchases among Alberta consumers. Dans la presente analyse, nous avons utilise un ensemble de donnees fortement desagregees sur les achats de repas–minute effectues par des menages de l'Alberta et de l'Ontario, entre mai 2000 et mai 2005. Un modele de comptage a deux etapes (double hurdle count data model) a permis de verifier les hypotheses selon lesquelles la concentration de la couverture mediatique de la crise de l'ESB n'influence pas la probabilite mensuelle d'un menage d'acheter des repas–minute de bœuf ni la quantite mensuelle de repas–minute de bœuf achetes par un menage. Les consommateurs ontariens etaient plus susceptibles de cesser d'acheter des repas–minute de bœuf immediatement apres une poussee de la couverture mediatique de la crise de l'ESB, mais ceux qui achetaient des repas–minute de bœuf ont maintenu les quantites achetees. La couverture mediatique de la crise de l'ESB n'a pas systematiquement influence les achats de repas–minute chez les consommateurs albertains.

This paper examines the cost structure and cost efficiency for an unbalanced sample of 42 animal feed and 115 farm petroleum co‐operatives in Canada over the period 1984‐2001 using heterogeneous technology stochastic frontier models. The parameter estimates of the cost frontier and the resulting cost efficiency scores indicate there are statistically and economically significant cost inefficiencies. Further analysis revealed that financial structure and firm size have likely contributed to variations in cost efficiency. Obtaining sufficient equity capital is expected to improve co‐operative efficiency

The following sections are included:IntroductionLinking the Global Food System and the EnvironmentStrategies Food Industry Firms Use to Enhance Environmental SustainabilitySummary and Conclusions: Do Food Industry Environmental Initiatives Lead to Positive Environmental Outcomes?Bibliography

The concerns around the social costs associated with poor, inadequate diets and unhealthy food choices have received much attention in both the popular and academic literature recently. In response, governments are starting to direct their attention toward the interplay between public health and the food economy. We begin by reviewing some of the known links between food and health, the recommendations coming from international and domestic bodies, and the perspective of industry. We then discuss the potential role of, and justifications for, policy interventions, and note that a failure to incorporate consumer response into the policymaking process has led to suboptimal outcomes in the past. We present a qualitative overview of the possible effects of Canadian agricultural policies, as well as examples from the limited literature in this area. In much the same way that the policymaking process is subject to environmental impact assessments, agricultural and food policies need to be formulated with a health filter in place order to avoid perverse dietary outcomes. Les preoccupations entourant les couts sociaux lies a des regimes alimentaires deficients et a des choix alimentaires nuisibles pour la sante ont recu recemment beaucoup d'attention dans les publications populaires et scientifiques. En reponse a ces preoccupations, les gouvernements commencent a se pencher sur l'interaction entre la sante publique et l'economie de l'alimentation. Nous avons d'abord examine quelques-uns des liens connus entre l'alimentation et la sante, les recommandations d'organismes nationaux et internationaux et le point de vue de l'industrie. Nous avons ensuite discute du role potentiel des interventions politiques, et des justifications pour ces interventions, et avons note que le fait de ne pas integrer la reaction du consommateur dans le processus d'elaboration des politiques a entraine des resultats sous-optimaux dans le passe. Nous presentons un apercu qualitatif des repercussions possibles des politiques agricoles canadiennes ainsi que des exemples tires de la litterature limitee dans ce domaine. Tout comme le processus d'elaboration des politiques est soumis a des evaluations de l'impact sur l'environnement, les politiques agroalimentaires doivent etre elaborees en tenant compte de la sante en vue d'eviter les consequences perverses liees a l'alimentation.

Les auteurs analysent le rôle de la confiance dans l'évaluation d'une nouvelle technologie alimentaire, à savoir les nanotechnologies. Une revue de la littérature en sciences sociales et économiques révèle que de nombreux concepts de confiance sont disponibles. La littérature économique suggère que la confiance peut conduire à un moindre effort des personnes, quand il s’agit de leur propre protection. Il est possible de traduire ce concept de confiance dans le cadre de la disposition à payer pour des produits alimentaires. Ils montrent que la disposition à payer pour la nourriture utilisant des nanotechnologies augmente avec la confiance, y compris quand de nouvelles informations à propos de cette technologie sont révélées. Les résultats sont confirmés par des données de sondages en ligne réalisés au Canada et en Allemagne, et des données expérimentales provenant d’Allemagne.

Historically, major agricultural cooperatives in Canada have been intimately involved in commodity policy issues. Large cooperatives were created because farmers were upset about the perceived lack of competition in buying farm inputs or selling farm outputs. Often, the resulting cooperative was the organization farmers saw as the logical organization to represent their view of commodity policy or competition policy. As cooperatives grew and diversified, the ability to represent their members coherently across policy issues was hampered. For processing cooperatives in the supply-managed sector, the requirement that the cooperative be the political arm of industry, process product, and provide maximum returns to producer members made for a complicated objective function. This paper focuses on the twin objectives of providing efficient member services and performing political lobbying in a public choice framework. The results are illustrated by the recent history of a supply-managed further-processing cooperative and a diversified grain cooperative.

Small-scale food producers in Ghana produce about 90 per cent of the food in the country. Behaviourial patterns characteristic of these semi-commercial producers are complex, making it hard for policy makers to predict the consequences of policies on them. This study analyses the effects of the Structural Adjustment Programme on cereal producers in Ghana. A system of demand and supply equations was employed in a simulation analysis performed under three different scenarios to observe the aftermath of price increases; measure the impact of devaluation of the cedi; and gauge the effect of price increases and devaluation. The results show that cereal producers gain but consumers lose in terms of producer and consumer surplus. There is a net welfare loss as a result of the SAP.