For ten years, we see a strong interest in local food products among Quebecers. Several factors explain this craze, but the involvement of Aliments du Québec has possibly contributed to increased local food awareness. Recently, the recognition program Aliments du Québec menu set up by the organization aims to highlight the restaurants showcasing Quebec food products. What impact did he have on producers?
According to Marie-Josée payment, owner of the barn La Marie Bergere, there is no difference. Since opening his farm in Ham-Sud in 2000, part of its sales are made by visitors stopping at his fold. To explain the benefits to encourage local production Ms Pay simply replied: "People know what they eat, they know that the products are always fresh. "
As a partnership with a restaurant, it is done with the Auberge La Mara, also located in Ham-Sud. The herd is estimated at about 150 animals, we can estimate that the impact of this partnership is more local. It is against possible that things change when extending its market, as in the following case.
Long before the trend for local food, Denise Turcotte and George Martel were concerned about the quality of their products that they sold in the Drummondville area. Their Ferme des Voltigeurs, founded in 1958, has gradually turned to chicken production of grain. David Bourassa, sales manager, explains:
"We are the only company in Canada to be able to call our chicken" chicken grit ". The standards of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency say that to be called "chicken grit", the chicken should be fed exclusively vegetable grain, into vitamin given to them [...] and it should be checked the same way we do a check organic. "
Celebrity chefs like Jean Soulard and Anne Desjardins became interested in their grain-fed chicken. In addition, for the past five years, it is possible to get their product in grocery stores like IGA or Metro, a day or two after the day of slaughter. Before such recognition, Mr. Bourassa believes that the awareness of local food is on a roll.
Nathalie Joannette however, is not of the same opinion. Owner of very small businesses Crazy Pig and saw La Pocatière, founded in 2005, believes it takes more than awareness to promote local products:
"It's the entire market needs to be changed, that is to say, we must force retailers to buy local products. We'll have to go there one day. As long as there is no law that governs it, the world does anything. "
For example, it addresses the problem of sourcing Quebec carrots at the grocery store while there is that American carrots on the shelf. As for his own production, only 1% is for restaurants while the rest is available in delicatessens.
"It's dust, she said. Restaurants, they buy local products, but you can not live off restaurants. "
Ultimately, awareness of local products is not sufficient. Market size also has its influence. As noted agronomist Pierre Dumoulin in his study of lamb produced in Quebec, Quebecers bought in 2007 a ??total of 70,315 tons of meat for beef, 60,142 tons for chicken, 37,844 tonnes pork and 803 tonnes of mutton and lamb. Unfortunately, it is still early to see if the Aliments du Québec program menu can change this trend. The next article, we will look at the case of restaurateurs.
