At the risk of preaching to the choir, note this: canola oil is a nutritious food ingredient, far preferable to many other options on the market.
It has just seven per cent saturated fat, the least among common cooking oils, and has the most plant-based omega-3 fat levels. It is a source of omega-6 fat and has high levels of oleic acid. As well, it does not contain trans fats.
Most farmers know this, but it is dangerous to assume everyone else does.
Social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram are littered with attacks on seed oils, including canola oil.
A large number of people who post on these platforms encourage their followers to use alternatives such as palm oil and coconut oil. Yet coconut oil has 87 per cent saturated fat, more than 10 times that of canola oil.
The danger is that younger consumers develop much of their worldview from social media, and losing their loyalty would be a significant blow to the canola sector.
However, the problem goes even deeper.
A recent news article in a U.S. publication rated different cooking oils, giving high marks to olive, sesame and avocado oil and failing grades to corn and soybean oil. Particularly alarming was canola oil’s absence from the story.
Granted, the magazine is American-based, where corn and soybeans are more common than canola, but it shows how far off the radar canola oil can be for many consumers.
The industry is pushing back against this knowledge gap.
It has formed the Seed Oil Coalition in conjunction with corn and soybean commodity groups to share information and jointly fight what it deems to be a misinformation campaign.
It has also created the canolainfo.org website and associated social media handles to disseminate correct information on canola oil in the U.S.
An exhibit at the annual Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo provides the latest scientific information on canola oil to dietitians.
The three provincial canola organizations are funding a Canadian marketing campaign called Hello Canola to help spread a positive message about the crop.
These are outstanding initiatives, but more must be done. Tearing a page from dairy’s playbook would be a good place to start.
While many other parts of the agricultural landscape wait for a crisis and then go on the defensive, dairy producers take a more proactive approach to promoting the health benefits of their products.
Milk has taken control of the narrative, and anti-animal agriculture activists find it a tough castle to storm.
Canola groups should begin working to do the same.
Growers must also recognize that we are now in the era of the social media influencer. These celebrities, who often have no expertise in the areas on which they expound, have massive followings and the ability to dramatically change public opinion.
Canola growers need their own influencers.
Of course, the most effective influencers are farmers.
It’s great that the Canola Council of Canada is taking steps to set the record straight, but individual farmers must also step up, especially younger ones.
It’s a space in which many of them are comfortable and where they could make a real difference.
Those who feel comfortable in this new realm can do a lot of good by looking for common ground and creating a dialogue with those interested in learning something from the conversation.
Karen Briere, Bruce Dyck, Barb Glen, Michael Robin, Robin Booker and Laura Rance collaborate in the writing of Western Producer editorials.
