I realize that when it comes to food, I don't mind buying "out of country" stuff if it is not available here at all. For instance, I don't mind using cinnamon and ginger and cloves, and I don't mind that it isn't grown in Canada.
But it really bothers me to hear that most of our apple products (anything made with concentrate, store bought applesauce, etc.) come from China. And China is the number one exporter of canned tomatoes. If you have a can of tomatoes in your pantry, chances are they were grown and processed in China. And there are sneaky ways to get around the laws governing food processing so that they can even make it look like something was produced in Canada.
It frightens me that we are so losing control of our own food supply. And it bothers me that we have no idea what the rules concerning pesticides and growing practices are out there. And I wonder not only how they treat the land, but how do they treat the people working the land?
In the meantime, the number of farmers on the Prairies is dwindling, and the average age is getting older and older. I can't say I blame people for getting out of farming... it's uncertain, the pay is often far less than you'd make working a construction site, and as soon as your product is sold more cheaply by another country, people switch to save a dollar.
Why else would Walmart be opening grocery sections in all their stores?
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