Changing demographics mean changes at the dinner table

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What’s on the table for dinner tonight? Thirty years ago, the answer would probably have been beef, chicken, pork or fish. And it would have been prepared at home. But what about today? Consumer preferences have changed – and that’s the reality now facing the beef industry.

The Alberta Cattle Feeders’ Association commissioned a research review to better understand the market forces driving demand for beef and other proteins. Digital marketing agency Communicatto was engaged to gather and summarize existing research.

Communicatto president Doug Lacombe will be speaking on the topic at the upcoming Alberta Beef Industry Conference. He sat down with us to share the highlights of their findings. 

“The research shows that people are eating differently in 2017 than they were 20 or 30 years ago. The beef industry needs to understand what mealtime looks like today and why eating habits have changed in order to adapt to meet new consumer demands,” he said.

Today’s meals are different, because today’s Canadians are different

Doug explained that two prominent factors are affecting Canadians’ food choices:

1. Changing demographics

“Our population demographics have changed markedly in the last 30 years. In metropolitan areas, we are approaching the 46 per cent immigrant level, so food choices are driven by different culinary habits, cultural habits and so on. With those kind of profound societal changes, why would we think eating habits would stay the same?”

2. Today’s fast-paced lifestyle

“With two working parents and today’s busy lifestyles, there is an increase in pre-prepared, or semi-prepared meals, a variety of convenience options and dining out. Stopping at the store to pick up a rotisserie chicken on the way home from work is just one of many easy, affordable ways to provide a quick meal.”

Why this matters to the beef industry

The concerns and demands of Canadians, and particularly the Millennial generation, are driving the market, and a successful industry will be one that adapts. Many people consider beef to be a special occasion food and erroneously believe it to be a less healthy choice compared to other proteins.

During his talk at the conference, Doug will be sharing more details about Canadians’ food choices, and the attitudes and perceptions that drive them. He will also look at what this means for beef producers, how they should respond, and what they can do to answer concerns or alter negative perceptions.

“If the farm isn’t supplying what consumers want,” Doug noted, “then we have a disconnect between supply and demand. We need to ask how the industry can cooperate along the entire supply chain, and innovate to meet changing consumer demand.”

To learn more about how the eating habits of Canadians impact the beef industry, check out last week’s post on the need for consumers and the beef industry to find common ground.

You can learn more about what’s in store at the Alberta Beef Industry Conference in the event program.

Can industry and consumers find common ground on beef?

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Cattle producers and feedlot operators work hard to ensure that the industry operates in a responsible, sustainable way, but many Canadians know little about the beef that’s on their plates. It’s not because they don’t want to know — they have questions about things like how cattle are raised, how the industry contributes to Canada’s GHG emissions and the use of hormones.

These are important questions — ones the beef industry is trying to better answer. Consumers and industry share common concerns, but we don’t always speak the same language. We’re working to change that through events like this year’s Alberta Beef Industry Conference.

The annual conference, which takes place February 15 to 17, is hosted jointly by the Alberta Cattle Feeders’ Association, Alberta Beef Producers, Alberta Livestock Dealers and Order Buyers Association, Alberta Auction Markets Association, and Western Stock Growers Association. This year’s workshops and sessions have been planned to help  producers understand the concerns and perspectives of their consumers.

How cattle producers and consumers can reach an understanding

The beef industry requires a market for its products, and consumers want to make informed decisions about what they feed their families. Is it possible to satisfy both parties? Conference participants will explore this pivotal question, focusing on:

  • Consumer perceptions of the beef industry
  • How to effectively communicate with consumers
  • Branding and storytelling
  • Economic and market outlooks

By gaining a greater understanding of the local and global marketplace, and the attitudes and beliefs of consumers, cattle producers will be better equipped to communicate their stories and provide helpful information. That way, the industry can start to educate Canadians about its high standards of animal care, safety and sustainability and be seen globally as a socially responsible supplier of premium beef.

Over the next few weeks we’ll be interviewing some of the conference speakers to gain their perspectives on this key topic. Stay tuned for next week, when we will speak with Doug Lacombe, of Communicatto, about changing consumer tastes and trends.

Beef and hormones: what the science says

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In a recent post on this blog, we explained why hormones are used in beef cattle production, and explored the implications for both animals and people. This week we continue that topic with a look at the science behind hormone use.

To find out whether Canadians should be concerned about the use of hormones in beef production, we spoke with Reynold Bergen, science director with the Canadian Beef Research Council (BCRC).

What the research says

“Hormone use has been the subject of numerous independent studies,” said Reynold. “In 2014, James Magolski and his co-workers at North Dakota State University, published the results of a study that used pigs to find out whether growth implants used in beef production could cause young girls to hit puberty sooner. The results provided us with a great deal of insight.”

Reynold explained that the main findings of the study were as follows:

    • Pigs were fed one of four diets. Two contained beef, either from cattle raised without hormone implants, or from cattle implanted with hormones. Two were vegetarian diets (containing canola meal low in natural plant estrogens, or a soy meal high in natural plant estrogens). Estrogen levels were the same in the diets that contained beef from implanted cattle, unimplanted cattle, or canola meal. Estrogen levels were higher in the soy-based tofu diet, because of naturally occurring plant estrogens.
    • None of the four diets – whether they contained high or low levels of estrogen – resulted in a higher level of estrogen or progesterone in the animal’s blood. This is because stomach acids and digestive enzymes break down the vast majority of hormones consumed in the diet; very few of them are absorbed into the bloodstream.
    • The effects on the test animals’ growth and reproductive characteristics were the same for all four diets.

“In other words,” Reynold explained, “there are more hormones in the bun than in the burger. But, in any case, neither has any effect on the person consuming the food.”

You can learn more about this study in the BCRC blog post ‘These little piggies ate a quarter pounder a day.’

Stay tuned for an upcoming post in which we will be discussing another topic that is both controversial and subject to misinformation – the use of antibiotics in beef cattle production.

5 feedlot issues to watch for in 2017

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For our first post of 2017, we’re taking a look at some of the issues likely to affect feedlot operators in upcoming months. Here are five topics worth watching:

1. Transportation

The Canada Gazette recently published new regulations on transport times and conditions for cattle on livestock trucks. Cattle feeders provided input into the process, and will be submitting a response in February.

2. Traceability

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency plans to announce new traceability regulations in 2017. This important piece of legislation has been 10 years in the making due to the complexity of tracing and tracking cattle movement, but regulation is a crucial piece in the protection of public and animal health, and ensuring food safety.

3. Trade

With the U.S. election now over and Trump in the White House all eyes are on the trade implications. Cattle and beef are currently traded in both directions between Canada and the U.S. and any changes to Country of Origin Labelling (COOL) or NAFTA will have huge implications for our industry and Canadians.

4. Safety

The Alberta Farm and Ranch Workplace Act, or Bill 6, was a hot topic during 2016, with many farmers and ranchers concerned about the implications for their businesses. As the government’s roundtable consultation sessions wind up, we will all be interested to learn the outcomes, and their implications for farm safety.

5. Infrastructure

Finding the necessary funding to rehabilitate rural roads and replace bridges also emerged as a hot topic in 2016. Cattle feeders have made representations to both the federal and provincial governments on their responsibility to ensure agriculture can move products to market. While the federal government recently announced $2 billion over the next 11 years for rural infrastructure projects, much more is needed. Pressure on this policy priority must continue up to the spring budgets and beyond. 

Stay tuned for upcoming blog posts, as we explain more about these issues, and explore how they affect cattle feeders, the beef industry and even Canadians.