Farmscape for June 21, 2012   (Episode 4179)

The vice-chair of the Canadian Pork Council is encouraging Canadian pork producers to become more involved in communicating the story of the importance of food production.

Earlier this month representatives of Canada Pork International and the Canadian Pork Council traveled to Paris to take part in the 2012 IMS World Meat Congress.

The annual event brings together representatives of the pork, beef and sheep industries from around the world to discuss issues affecting meat production.

Canadian Pork Council vice-chair Rick Bergmann says there's increasing pressure on pork producers to make changes based on emotion rather than on facts and science so it's important for farmers to become involved in telling their story more than they have in the past.

Clip-Rick Bergmann-Canadian Pork Council:
The story that we need to tell is one of significance.

The population in the world is ever increasing and there is a job before us that some don't understand or comprehend.

Producers in Canada, the ones that I'm aware of, they're very passionate about the things that they do on their farms and their objective is to raise crops and product and pork for those around the world.

Its a noble objective.

We want to feed the world because the world population is growing and we also want to reap the fruits of our labors.

It's certainly the pleasure of producers to feed the world with quality products and good quality assurance mechanisms but we also have to make a living as well doing this and it seems as though that's becoming and more of more of a challenge in numerous different countries.

Bergmann notes a child dies of starvation somewhere in the world every six seconds and when you have a world population that's exploding farmers have an opportunity and an obligation to look after those who can't look after themselves.

For Farmscape.Ca, I' Bruce Cochrane.

       *Farmscape is a presentation of Sask Pork and Manitoba Pork Council