Commitment to social responsibility runs deep in Canada’s egg industry

At Egg Farmers of Canada, we strive to incorporate social responsibility into all aspects of our organization. We recognize that egg farmers expect no less of us because responsibility, integrity and community contribution are an important part of their businesses and lives.

Over the course of 2013, we conducted research to better understand social responsibility in our industry. We surveyed farmers in communities across the country to learn about community engagement at the grassroots level and gathered information on the numerous social contributions led by provincial and territorial egg boards.

Through this research we confirmed:

• Egg farmers are socially responsible. Across the country, egg farmers are strong contributors to their communities. Through donations, fundraising, sponsorship and volunteering, 9 out of 10 farmers are giving back.
• Egg boards are strong community supporters. Egg boards and EFC contribute more than $1.0 million per year to causes through donations, fundraising and sponsorship of community events and organizations. Collectively we support close to 200 community programs, causes, charities and events.

Together, we are committed to helping Canadian communities through:

• Regular contributions to organizations that help maintain the social fabric of our communities
• Educational programs for young people up to the post-secondary level
• Investment in events and initiatives that help build healthy communities.

I believe that social responsibility is rooted in our traditions as an agricultural industry. When egg farmers came together in the 1970s to develop a self-regulating supply management system, they were demonstrating a willingness to work together for the common good of consumers and farmers, and an understanding of the need to earn the trust of their stakeholders by operating in a socially responsible manner.

And because most egg farms in Canada are family-owned and have often been operating through several generations, our farmers are deeply rooted in and committed to giving back to their communities.

As a national organization, we’ve worked diligently to weave the culture of social responsibility into all aspects of our leadership, policy development, decision making and overall workplace culture. We work to reflect the social values of farmers and Canadians through many initiatives—from supporting young farmers by partnering with Canadian Young Farmers’ Forum to sharing lessons learned with egg farmers in developing nations to teaming up with Food Banks Canada.

Our research into the community contributions of egg farmers and egg boards has strongly reinforced that social responsibility is highly valued and we have a strong foundation to build on moving forward.

---