Agri-Food Trade Service

Content Manager's Blog

This Web site was created 15 years ago as a source of market information and export support activities for Canadian companies. As the web evolves and our interaction with clients intensifies we've decided to take a more active approach in keeping you informed with what we've published recently and to give a sneak peak at what you can look forward to in the coming months in the hopes of giving you a reason to come back and get more involved with our projects.

The impact of a younger generation

June 3, 2010

Comments (2)

Through these Blogs, we have spoken at length about our work at trade shows and the reports we write based on our experience and our assessment of the trends we have witnessed. However, trade show trend reports are just one way the ATS provides visitors with relevant market intelligence. While we have several of show reports on the site and a good number more soon to be published, we also produce a number of reports based on our constant media monitoring. A great number of our ongoing projects come from information gathered and trends witnessed through reading extensive media sources. Both the agri-food industry and the consumer marketplace are continuously evolving and we strive to keep visitors up to-date on developments through a wide variety of analysis pieces.

One trend in particular that we've noticed recently, is the growing number of children who have a strong interest in food, or more accurately an increase in media attention to children and increasingly sophistication food preparation. Children already have significant influence in purchase decisions of a household, and food and beverage products are no exception. The hot debates recently regarding appropriate food and beverage advertising to children, only further illustrate the influence that children can have on the food they consume. Continued focus on health and obesity rates, particularly among children, has also resulted in a greater push for healthier food products to this market segment. All in all, children appear to have a growing influence on food products and industry is taking note. A growing segment coming from the child population is actually aiding in this drive for healthier, more diverse food choices for children, and offering hope for a younger population of fewer “picky eaters”.

While the majority of the references we've seen toward this trend are related to the North American market, but this is most certainly a world-wide trend. For example, Canadian Trade Commissioners have already been supporting children-related activities in Japan to promote Canadian food and cuisine. The Canadian Wheat Board has a partnership with the Tsuji Cooking Academy for promotional activities of wheat and pasta, one of which is The Parent-Child Grand Prix Television Program. This annual parent-child cooking competition is in its 17th year, and features parent-child teams preparing recipes with a Canadian theme and using Canadian ingredients. A popular event, the program is broadcast by four television stations, possibly reaching over 8.5 million households. Canada Pork International, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and the Canadian Consulate are among the numerous Canadian organizations supporting the event.

The influence of children with regards to food choices is also having an impact in retail and foodservice offerings, and may continue to have a growing impact on the industry as this generation enters the mainstream marketplace. If this is an area of interest to you, keep an eye out for our upcoming report on the impact of children on food trends in the United States.

Another project we're focusing on, which we've mentioned before, is enhancing communication between our clients and the Trade Commissioners on the ATS web site. We've begun working with the Agriculture and Food Trade Commissioner Service to tap into this rich resource in the department and make their expertise available to you. They can provide precise advice and information specific to their market as well as events and trends that are taking place, such as the Parent-Child Grand Prix in Japan. In coming months, we will be providing a lot more information and products brought to you by our Trade Commissioners.

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions surrounding our upcoming report or the trends outlined here, please feel free to contact me.

Until next time...

Robin Wint,
Market Analyst
Agri-Food Trade Service
robin.wint@agr.gc.ca

Comments

Comments on this story are pre-moderated. Before they appear, comments are reviewed by moderators.

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *.

Provision of the information requested on this form is voluntary. The information is being collected for the purpose of responding to your query/comments, and to improve our Internet suite of products and services. Personal information that you provide is protected under the provisions of the Privacy Act. Your personal information will be stored in Personal Information Bank number AAFC PSU 914. The Act provides you with a right of access to your information. If you wish to avail yourself of this right or require clarification about this Statement, contact our Privacy Co-ordinator.