TORONTO, June 8, 2015 /CNW/ - A recent Hellmann's survey revealed that while 1 in 5 Canadians are living in a food desert only 50% of Canadians have heard the term. A food desert is defined as an area where affordable, high-quality fresh food is difficult to access. Although the problem impacts Canadians throughout the country, it is more prevalent in the North, where fresh tomatoes can cost up to 7x more than an urban centre.
"It's concerning that in a country like Canada, many families struggle to put real and fresh food on the table for their families," says Gina Kiroff, Marketing Manager for Hellmann's Canada. "Since launching the Real Food Movement in 2007, Hellmann's has been on a mission to get people excited about eating real, yet it's simply hard for many Canadians to do so, when their access to real food is limited, especially due to cost and availability."
Realizing that access to fresh food is a problem that hits closer to home, the brand has taken a number of steps to encourage conversation and change throughout the country. Hellmann's is providing $75,000 to the Northern Farm Training Institute to help fund a geodesic greenhouse and help feed families through long-term food production.
"With the funding, we will be building a greenhouse that can withstand the Northern climate and can be recreated by students in their own communities," says Jackoline Milne, NFTI founder. "The partnership with Hellmann's allows us to create a sustainable food solution that communities will continue to benefit from for years to come."
Hellmann's will also be encouraging Canadians to join the conversation online by sharing the price of a kilogram of tomatoes, using #MyTomato, and signing the petition at realfoodmovement.ca. The petition will then be presented to policy and industry leaders at the Food Summit in October.
About Hellmann's
Hellmann's® mayonnaise was founded on the principle of starting with real, simple ingredients - like eggs, oil and vinegar. This commitment to real ingredients is why Hellmann's® launched the Real Food Movement - a mission to help get more real food on Canadian tables by inspiring families to smell, taste, touch and learn about the pleasure that comes from eating real food. Canadians can join the real food conversation by following the brand on Twitter @HellmannsCanada and using #MyTomato.
About NFTI
The Northern Farm Training Institute (NFTI) - located in Hay River, NWT - is an experiential school that helps empower Northerners, strengthen communities and create sustainability through local food production. NFTI has provided experiential education opportunities from experienced local farmers to Northerners since 2013, empowering students to work collaboratively to find sustainable food solutions.
In the last two years alone they have trained 66 students from 15 communities, who have gone on to develop their own successful initiatives in their own communities.
About the Survey
An online quantitative study was completed between April 2nd, 2015 and April 7th, 2015, with a total sample of 1002 respondents. The sample composition is a close representation of the general Canadian adult population based on gender, age, region, number of children and household income. The margin of error is +/- 3.1% (based on a 95% confidence level).
SOURCE Hellmanns
Video with caption: "Video: The Hellmann's® Real Food Movement is taking action against food insecurities in Canada". Video available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7z8eX09_paM
Image with caption: "This grocery store is a reality for 1 in 5 Canadians living in a food desert (CNW Group/Hellmanns)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150608_C3264_PHOTO_EN_18034.jpg
Jennifer Chappell, Harbinger Communications, 416-960-5100 ext. 264, [email protected]
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