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Most Canadians surveyed oppose farm gate dumping of surplus food

Between 48.3 per cent and 54.4 per cent of those surveyed believe such farm gate waste should be illegal
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(Getty Images)

The majority of Canadians believe dumping of unsalable farm products should be illegal, according to a survey by Dalhousie University.

The survey was undertaken to reveal attitudes towards the farm gate dumping of milk, euthanizing of pigs and chickens when the pandemic sharply reduced demand for these farm products.

The farm gate food waste included dumping 50 million litres of milk, discarding two million eggs, euthanizing 200,000 chickens and 90,000 pigs.

Between 48.3 per cent and 54.4 per cent of those surveyed believe such farm gate waste should be illegal.

In the survey 48.8 per cent think dumping milk should be illegal with the same attitude on euthanizing pigs by 53.5 per cent and 54.4 per cent agreeing that euthanizing chickens should be illegal.

Around one-quarter of respondents believed these dumping practices should be allowed under difficult circumstances such as a pandemic.

Between 12.8 per cent and 15.3 per cent agreed that farm gate dumping should be allowed whenever necessary.

Between 9.4 per cent and 10.7 per cent agreed farm gate dumping should be allowed under difficult circumstances like a recession.

Forty-eight per cent feel farmers should do whatever it takes to donate the food to charity but they should be compensated.

Just under 20 per cent believe the food should be donated without any compensation while 13.4 per cent believe farmers should stop producing so much.

Farmers should be treated like any other business that faces risks, according to 12.7 per cent

And 6.7 per cent agreed farmers should dispose of any product they can’t sell even if that means wasting food or killing livestock.

The survey, taken in May about four weeks after the pandemic lockdown started, showed an increase of people with food insecurity. The number of households feeling they had enough of the foods they wanted fell to 61 per cent from 72.6 per cent the year before.

A separate Dalhousie survey taken in August indicates food waste in Canadian households has increased 13.5 per cent in a year.

The average household throws out just over five pounds of organic food waste (unavoidable and avoidable) every week. That amounts to $20 billion a year, or $1,766 per household.

Almost one-third of wasted food was left in the fridge or freezer too long while 15 per cent was past best before use dates. Almost 13 per cent preferred freshest possible food and threw out older food.

Three in 10 times food waste occurred because people did not finish their meals.

Ten per cent threw out food because they thought it might be contaminated by COVID-19.

Ron Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net

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