Do you know where your B次元官网网址淚slandB次元官网网址� eggs come from?
For many, itB次元官网网址檚 a Vancouver Island grocery store. They were likely even graded and packaged on Vancouver Island. But do you know where they were actually laid?
B次元官网网址淭he eggs that youB次元官网网址檙e receiving here on the Island under that label could be from as far away as Manitoba,B次元官网网址� said Jennifer Woike, co-owner of the Cowichan Valley-based Farmer BenB次元官网网址檚 Eggs.
Woike is frustrated with her companyB次元官网网址檚 inability to get their locally laid eggs on the shelves of mega-chain grocery stores on the Island, despite some of those stores wishing they could carry them.
B次元官网网址淒id you know that Vancouver Island cannot currently support its egg needs? Meaning we donB次元官网网址檛 produce enough eggs currently to sustain the consumerB次元官网网址檚 needs. Did you know how many eggs are shipped to Vancouver Island from the Fraser Valley, Alberta and possibly as far away as Manitoba? Those eggs are on your grocery store shelves,B次元官网网址� Woike said. B次元官网网址淪ome of them have branding leading you to believe that they are in fact local or Island-produced.B次元官网网址�
TheyB次元官网网址檙e not.
While consumers are much more aware of where their food comes from these days, there are still some confusing marketing areas that make it tricky for customers to truly know.
For example, Woike couldnB次元官网网址檛 use the word B次元官网网址渙rganicB次元官网网址� because sheB次元官网网址檚 not certified organic, despite her company doing everything organically.
Just the same, somebody could use the word B次元官网网址淚slandB次元官网网址� in their marketing, even when the eggs arenB次元官网网址檛 from the Island.
An egg company Farmer BenB次元官网网址檚 competes with uses the word B次元官网网址淚slandB次元官网网址� in their marketing. The company has a grading station on Vancouver Island but it grades eggs from all over Western Canada, Woike explained.
B次元官网网址淎ll of the eggs come over here, and are graded on the Island, and then shipped out back to all the stores.B次元官网网址�
WhatB次元官网网址檚 more, the contracts to supply those eggs are pushing the truly local merchants out of the mix.
B次元官网网址淲e have grocery stores wanting to carry locally produced eggs, but they canB次元官网网址檛,B次元官网网址� Woike explained. B次元官网网址淭hey canB次元官网网址檛 because they are locked into contracts in which the wording states that no other eggs are allowed to be sold other than the majorB次元官网网址ulti-million-dollar corporation that holds that contract. Even if the consumer is asking, even if the grocery store manager locally wants to carry the local eggs B次元官网网址� the answer is no.B次元官网网址�
Woike said theyB次元官网网址檝e even gone so far as to offer to purchase their own egg coolers at their own cost just to get their eggs into the stores but not on the same shelves as the other eggs, but that didnB次元官网网址檛 fly either. They canB次元官网网址檛 even be in the store.
B次元官网网址淭hese contracts are taking away the consumer and the retailerB次元官网网址檚 right to purchase the eggs that they are wanting, the eggs that their customers are requesting and, in some cases, demanding,B次元官网网址� Woike said.
WhatB次元官网网址檚 the solution?
B次元官网网址淭he solution is, I think, that the consumer has to push back,B次元官网网址� Woike said. B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 the only way I can see this being driven. The consumer needs to, if the consumer wants to support local then they need to truly understand what that is in the grocery store.B次元官网网址�
She suggests looking for brands that carry the BUY BC logo or the ISLAND GOOD logo to know that your eggs are local.
If you want to ensure you are getting local eggs, buying the ones that say B次元官网网址淚slandB次元官网网址� on it is no longer good enough.
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