Building trust with the EQA® program
By Egg Farmers of CanadaTime and time again, we hear people share their appreciation for the high-quality eggs produced by Canadian farmers. Our eggs are fresh, high-quality and accessible. For decades, egg farmers have built a relationship of trust with Canadians based on these qualities and by ensuring transparency and accountability in all of our farming practices.
Over the past few years, Egg Farmers of Canada has built on this tradition of trust by making it easier to identify high-quality Canadian eggs through the Egg Quality Assurance™ (EQA®) program. Launched in 2019, our national, industry-wide certification program features an easy to recognize mark which assures Canadians that eggs sold in grocery stores and incorporated in restaurant menus are top-quality Canadian eggs.
The past year has been laden with uncertainty, and presented unique challenges for Canada’s food system and the agricultural sector. More than two-thirds of Canadians feel it is now even more important to buy Canadian-made products because of the COVID-19 pandemic.1 Why is buying Canadian important? The answer is encouraging; more than half of the respondents buy local to support Canada’s economy, farmers, local businesses and jobs.2
In an environment where Canadians want to know where their food comes from and be assured of the highest possible standards, the EQA® program certifies and celebrates the exceptional quality of Canadian eggs. When you buy EQA® certified eggs, you know that you’re directly supporting Canadian farmers and the national economy. The mark also lets Canadians know their eggs have been produced according to world-class animal welfare and food safety standards. This assurance is what makes this program so impactful.
When we launched the program in 2019, I wrote about how trust is the bedrock of our industry’s success. Today, I’m proud to confirm the program is working. According to an Egg Farmers of Canada study conducted in March 2021, Canadians continue to underscore that the EQA® mark makes a positive difference in their trust and confidence towards eggs, Canadian egg farmers, and the grocers and restaurant operators who offer EQA® certified eggs.3
When Canadians see the EQA® mark on their egg cartons, they know the eggs have been produced by local farmers who are dedicated to producing a top-quality product.
Learn more about our EQA® program in the video below:
1 Environics Analytics, October 2020
2 Environics Analytics, March 2021
3 Environics Analytics, March 2021