Chicken Farmers of Canada (CFC) has joined a coalition of partners in the Canadian agri-food sector to develop The National Index on Agri-Food Performance – a set of performance and progress indicators to ensure Canada’s position as a trusted leader in the worldwide food industry.
With this new partnership, CFC will participate in a dialogue to develop the standards used by stakeholders in the agri-food sector to guarantee sector competitiveness, demonstrate societal benefits, and improve policy.
CFC is already implementing programs to ensure sustainable chicken production, including:
Animal health and welfare
- A national, mandatory Raised by a Canadian Farmer Animal Care Program, with third party audits.
- A comprehensive Antimicrobial Use (AMU) Strategy that involves surveillance, education, research, and reduction.
Producing safe chicken
- A mandatory, nationally recognized Raised by a Canadian Farmer On-Farm Food Safety Program.
- An effective and responsive traceability system as well as operational plans for dealing with potential disease outbreaks.
Preserving the health of Canadian farmland
- On-farm practices to reduce environmental impact.
- The carbon footprint of Canadian chicken is lower than the other livestock commodities produced in North America.
- Canadian chicken farms are healthy and vibrant, welcoming new entrants each year into a strong community of family farms.
Providing affordable food to Canadians via supply management
- Supply management allows farmers to confidently invest in their operations, for the industry to give back to local communities & contribute positively to the Canadian economy, and so consumers always have access to steady supply of fresh, high-quality chicken at a reasonable price.
From the moment they arrive on the farm to the time they’re shipped to the consumer; the quality and welfare of our chickens is of the utmost importance to our farmers. CFC is proud be part of the National Index on Agri-Food Performance project, and relishes in the opportunity to find ways to improve sustainability. Our country has an ambitious agri-food growth agenda, and with this new partnership, CFC will help develop the agri-food standards used to shape the future of our industry.
