Opting for Low-Cost Menus with Chicken
By Eva Fisher for Chicken Farmers of Canada
Did you know that the most popular meat in Canada is also the most price stable and sustainable? As we work through these challenging times, keeping food costs as lean as possible will become increasingly important. Consider chicken’s popularity is amid a sustained upswing in Canada. “We’re seeing strong levels of growth,” explains Lisa Bishop-Spencer, director of brand and communications with Chicken Farmers of Canada. “People consumed 13 kilos of chicken per person per year in 1978, now we’re at 34.6 kilos per person per year.”
Sustainability
Chicken isn’t just a white meat anymore, it’s also a green meat. According to Bishop-Spencer, the carbon footprint of Canadian chicken per kilogram is lower than other livestock commodities produced in North America.
Bishop-Spencer notes that this is the result of years of work by Canadian chicken farmers. “Over the last 40 years we have lowered our carbon footprint by 37 per cent. We’ve lowered our water consumption by 45 per cent. We are now at point where 63 per cent of the energy that is used to raise chickens comes from renewable sources.”
Why Raised by a Canadian Farmer?
Eating locally is much more than a trend, it’s a matter of trust for Canadian consumers. According to The Canadian Centre for Food Integrity’s 2019 Public Trust Research Report, 96 per cent of Canadians agreed that they trusted food produced in Canada more than they trusted food produced outside of Canada. Farmers were considered the most credible source of information on food: more trusted than academics, restaurants or government.
Chicken Farmers of Canada developed the Raised by a Canadian Farmer program to increase transparency around the origin of chicken, and it has since become synonymous with Canadian chicken farmers’ impressive track record of animal care, food safety and sustainability.
According to Bishop-Spencer, the brand has seen strong growth. “We have in four years gone from a 0 per cent awareness to a 42 per cent awareness of our brand, which is very rare.”
So how can restaurants and retailers leverage this brand? Once you’re signed on you will have access to marketing materials, including tent cards and placemats. You can also use the logo on your website, social media and menu.
KFC Canada‘s partnership with the Chicken Farmers of Canada has been a success for the popular chicken restaurant. President and general manager Nivera Wallani notes that choosing Canadian chicken was a natural fit for their brand. “It’s in our name, we are Kentucky Fried Chicken, and chicken is at the core of everything we do. Sourcing Canadian absolutely makes us feel confident that we are getting the best possible Canadian product.”
Since their partnership in June of 2019, they have seen consistent growth in their brand trust and food quality scores. “We track them every quarter, and we’ve seen them consistently go up every quarter, and those are typically tough metrics to move so the fact that they have moved positively in the right direction, we’re really excited about it.” To learn more about how Canadian chicken can boost your bottom line, visit chicken.ca.
