For Immediate Release - March 10, 2009 For Immediate Release

NEW POLL RESULTS SHOW CANADIAN ATTITUDES TOWARD FARMING

International Speakers' Forum reveals new results and new strategies for farming

GUELPH, ONTARIO – New research on food, farming and farmers will be unveiled at a public forum on agriculture this Thursday, March 12th that will feature two internationally acclaimed speakers.

“We are excited about new information showing how Canadians view farming and how farmers can lead our economic recovery and feed the world,” said Crystal Mackay, Executive Director of the Ontario Farm Animal Council. “These topics and more will be featured at the program this Thursday.”

FEATURED SPEAKERS

1:15 PM         New poll results from a Canada-wide survey on agriculture
Colin Siren, Senior Researcher Ipsos-Reid, will release the results of a recent consumer attitudes’ study towards farming in Canada

1:45  PM        A new age of activism and the economy
Activists have used animal welfare, biotechnology and food safety as leverage to marginalize agriculture. Dan Murphy, journalist and agricultural consultant from Washington State, will discuss tactics farmers and producers can use to reclaim center stage in that debate — not only on those issues but on how best to reinvigorate the economy, as well.

2:45 PM         Feeding the world in the 21st century
Bryan Weech, Director of Livestock with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in Texas, will bring a different perspective to the discussion of how farmers can feed the world. Weech will focus on feeding more people using less land, less water and fewer resources. Is it possible to achieve this while preserving wildlife habitats and rural landscapes?

WHERE AND WHEN

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Guelph Place, 492 Michener Road, Guelph, Ontario

Speaker’s Forum 1:15 to 4 pm

Media availability at the event follows the speeches.

Follow the event on Twitter: updates under #farm http://search.twitter.com/search.atom?q=%23farm;

Daniel Murphy’s presentation is being funded in part by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) through the Advancing Canadian Agriculture and Agri-Food program. In Ontario, this program is delivered through AAC’s CanAdvance program.

For further information please contact

Wallace Pidgeon, Media Specialist

416-255-0176 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Or visit our websites www.ofac.org or www.agcare.org

 The Ontario Farm Animal Council (OFAC) and Agricultural Groups Concerned about Resources and the Environment (AGCare) are co-hosting this thought-provoking speakers’ forum. 

The Ontario Farm Animal Council is a non-profit education organization representing Ontario’s 40,000 livestock and poultry farmers and related agri-businesses.  OFAC is the voice for animal agriculture, providing a coordinated effort on issues related to animal agriculture and food production including farm animal care, environment, new technology and food safety.   

AGCare, Agricultural Groups Concerned About Resources and the Environment, is a coalition of farm organizations committed to communicating about agriculture and the environment. AGCare is the voice of Ontario’s 45,000 crop and horticulture farmers on environmental issues.