Four highlights from our 2020 Annual Report
By Egg Farmers of CanadaThe Canadian egg industry has shown remarkable resilience. This year, our sector adapted quickly to changes in market conditions and worked together to reach new levels of collaboration across our entire supply chain. We’ve shown that when faced with unique challenges, we remain steadfast and agile.
While many factors have contributed to creating our ability to be resilient, there are four that were especially important this past year and which also point to the future of Canada’s food industry. Read on to learn more about each one in these highlights from Egg Farmers of Canada’s 2020 Annual Report.
1. Our desire to build and nurture trust with Canadians underpins our programs and initiatives
Trust is critical to Canada’s food system, and many of our programs and initiatives are driven by nurturing trust with Canadians. It is why we work with food banks and school breakfast programs to support our neighbours and community members in Canada, and with global partners like Heart for Africa (Canada) and the International Egg Foundation to deliver the incredible protein found in eggs to malnourished and vulnerable regions around the world. Our desire to build trust is also the reason we are pushing boundaries when it comes to our sustainability work and comprehensive research program, and why we are building strong relationships with Canadians through outreach programs like the It’s Worth It campaign.
2. We adapted to market shifts to ensure a consistent supply of made-in-Canada eggs
In 2020, the retail sales of eggs increased by 9.8%, while the foodservice sector saw a 27.2% decrease in egg servings. Thanks to collaboration across our entire sector—from farmers to egg boards, to Egg Farmers of Canada to graders and processors, we rolled out a number of programs and initiatives to adapt to the changing market conditions caused by the pandemic. By working together and using the structures and tools we have in place—like the system of supply management—we were equipped to manage production through all the ups and downs.
3. We maintained the highest standards for food safety and animal welfare
Food safety and animal welfare are integral to Canada’s food system. There can be no trust without accountability. In 2020, we built on our commitment to food safety and animal care with new amendments and clarifications introduced to our Start Clean-Stay Clean® program and Animal Care Program. Through all the disruptions, farmers delivered on their commitment to food safety and animal welfare. Our dedicated team of field inspectors continued to visit farms even through the lockdowns, conducting inspections and audits across the country to ensure that farms met the necessary standards. We celebrated these high standards through our Egg Quality Assurance™ certification program, making it easier for Canadians to recognize eggs produced to the highest quality.
4. We’re advancing sustainable agricultural practices
Sustainability is an important consideration for the food system of the future. We outlined our commitment to sustainable agricultural practices with the release of our first Sustainability Report. The report presents concrete ways in which egg farmers are moving towards increasingly sustainable practices and highlights the egg industry’s recent advances. The report approaches sustainability through a holistic approach based on five pillars: protecting the health and welfare of our hens; delivering safe, high-quality eggs to Canadians; finding new ways to make egg production more environmentally sound; enhancing the well-being of others; and empowering our people. These five pillars affirm our commitment to a sustainable future and our position as a progressive leader.
Looking to the future
As we look back on 2020, it’s clear that our successes would not have been possible without an impressive level of collaboration across the entire egg supply chain. We did not lose sight that a strong, steady supply of eggs is at the heart of our vision for the future.
This past year we launched Vision 2020—our bold, innovative plan to embrace a vision of growth that would make Canada a world leader in per capita egg consumption. Together, we will continue to advance the priorities set out in the Vision 2020 Business Plan and eggs will increasingly be a food of the future.
Read our full 2020 Annual Report by clicking here.