COVID-19 will change how we think about food

We’re now focused on basics, Sylvain Charlebois explains

Before COVID -19 occurred, the dairy industry was struggling with its image and its focus. For a growing number of consumers, it had become old and boring, and more people found themselves hesitant to trust what was happening in the dairy sector. Cities were winning the war of values over farming communities who clearly were not ready for new attitudes among consumers. Animal activists and environmentalists were gaining on the industry, which could provide little in the way of response to their arguments. Authenticity and wholesomeness were the public relations weapons of choice for the dairy industry. But momentum was not on the sector’s side; that is, until COVID-19 showed up.

COVID -19 hit quickly. Many of us simply lost our psychological and rational bearings and got into a survival funk. The result was panic buying, lineups and a genuine distrust of our food supply chain’s ability to provide us the food we would need for some time. For days, perhaps weeks, many felt genuinely food-insecure, in one of the richest countries in the world.

As we end the first phase of our long, slow march towards normalcy, things have changed dramatically. Our food vocabulary has completely changed. Conversations about plantbased products, veganism, animal welfare and sustainability have swiftly been replaced by discussions about supply chains, empty shelves, flour, yeast and eggs.

Fear is a powerful sentiment. As we were confined to our homes, we were all forced to go back to basics. We could argue that Canadians have never cooked this much since the end of the Second World War. Our relationship with our kitchens, the true heart of the home, has grown stronger. In fact, according to a recent survey from AMC Group, 32 per cent of the people polled plan to make more home-cooked meals after the virus passes. (It likely won’t be 32 per cent, but it certainly will

Our relationships with our kitchens, the true heart of the home, has grown stronger.

be more than 10 per cent.) We are creatures of habit, and given how long the lockdown may last, COVID-19’s legacy will be about how it forever changed the way we relate to food. In other words, some of our new habits will remain.

With a powerful combination of providing comfort and promoting good health, milk and dairy products will be found in the middle of all these changes. With its marvellous fusion between animal and vegetable, and given its unparalleled natural integrity and voice, milk always finds a way into recipes and beverages for many diets. What’s more, as has been demonstrated several times in health research, a sedentary lifestyle will get people to consume more dairy products.

Furthermore, coming out of COVID -19, dairy farmers will likely have more direct access to consumers. According to a recent poll, 22 per cent of Canadians intend to shop online more often after the crisis. COVID-19 could literally democratize the supply chain. Once online buying for food purchases exists in consumers’ minds, anything is possible. We are already seeing groups of farmers engaging with consumers online. And farmers will charge a premium because they can.

The one black cloud hovering over the industry was the impromptu wasted milk reported recently. Dairy farmers had to discard millions of litres of milk due to an abrupt shift in consumer demand. Many criticized the decision, but given our supply management regime and the crisis, farmers had no option.

Let’s hope mechanisms are put into place so that any surplus is taken care of in the future. Throwing perfectly good milk away is not something Canadians are willing to tolerate, crisis or not.

COVID-19 is exactly what the dairy industry needed. Obviously, the virus has created havoc in our lives. Sustainability, plant-based protein and all other spending trends we saw in food before COVID-19 will eventually bounce back. Their return, though, will be linked directly to economic health and consumer confidence, and that may take a while, long enough for dairy to play a much larger role in our daily lives.

Sylvain Charlebois is professor and senior director of Agri-Food Analytics Lab, Dalhousie University.