This should make everyone feel all warm and fuzzy about Canadian farmers: according to a new poll (which is nonsensical anyway) Canadian producers think governments overreact to food safety incidences and overburden them with rules to prevent the spread of diseases on their farms.

Sarah Schmidt of Postmedia News reports that a summary of the focus groups led by Ekos Research Associates Inc. on behalf of Agriculture Canada said,

"Those who were being most affected by these measures felt that governments and retail industry giants had overreacted in the face of mad cow and other food safety incidences, as well as bowing to pressure from the United States and other countries."

This from the country – that would be Canada — that initially resisted the ruminant protein in ruminant feed ban in 1996, had lousy enforcement of said ban, leading to 15 or so cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy over the past decade, and was so delusional about the potential for listeria in cold cuts that it created an outbreak climate culminating in 22 deaths in 2008.

Further, "consumers do not have sufficient basic information about agricultural products. And if they did, they would be more likely to buy Canadian and to buy products grown locally.”

I get that other countries can cut corners and flood the market, and labeling is confusing, but stop whining. Tell retailers about your fabulous food safety programs and standards. Market your Canadian product and back it up with food safety data, not some nostalgic allegiance to maple syrup and beavertails.