It seems that supply management, which spans chicken, turkey, eggs and milk production in Canada, may face unprecedented threats this year. Renewal of the CUSMA trade agreement is fast approaching, and U.S. President Donald Trump made remarks last year about the unfairness of Canadian tariffs on U.S. chicken, eggs and dairy products.
In response, the Government of Canada has tried to take supply management (SM) off the table by unanimously passing Bill C-202, which removes SM from all future international trade negotiations. However, Trump’s unpredictability on tariffs, NATO and other issues leaves lingering concerns about what hardline stance he may take on SM in future.
Meanwhile, it’s important to understand what Canadians think about SM, and how much they actually know about it. Analysis of a new national survey on this topic, published in the Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics, has been released by Dr. Maurice Doyon and Stéphane Bergeron of the Department of Agricultural Economics at Université Laval in Quebec, and Dr. Bruce Muirhead of the Department of History at the University of Waterloo in Ontario.
This team surveyed more than 1,200 Canadians and found that, in general, Canadians have little knowledge of the scope of SM or how it works.
“This low literacy mirrors public literacy issues documented on topics such as agriculture, food, nutrition, health, finance and associated public policies,” the team notes in the study summary. “A low level of literacy should be concerning if one believes that educated decisions are better than less-educated ones. This is especially true for SM, given that its existence relies on a social contract with Canadians and the fact that Canada is the last country in the world to maintain this policy.”
After answering what they knew about SM, respondents were then provided with positive and negative information on SM themes frequently discussed in the media and asked for their perceptions regarding the effects of SM in six areas.
One was a comparison of the price of SM products in the U.S. versus Canada. The others included how SM affects farming innovation, retail product diversity, young farmers’ access to the sector and international trade.
After analyzing this data, Doyon, Bergeron and Muirhead concluded that views toward SM policy are mostly negative, with the most negative perceptions held by respondents with ideologies loosely classified as economic conservatism. However, they also found a positive association between economic conservatism and SM literacy.
It’s always important to note limitations of a study, and its authors point to one in how the impact of knowledge on perceptions of SM was considered in the analysis.
They also point to the survey being conducted in 2023. Much has transpired since.
For example, in response to U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods and other political tensions, many Canadians in early 2025 stopped buying American products and travelling to the U.S. Doyon also notes that in light of extreme price spikes for U.S. eggs in 2024 and 2025 – and concerns stemming from repeated comments about Canada becoming the 51st state – Canadians may now better appreciate the stability offered by SM.
“I bet that to have a safe and stable domestic supply by SM of these important foods is appreciated by most,” he says. He believes Canadians likely now have a more positive overall feeling about SM, although that was not directly measured in the study.
Changing perceptions?
But it’s important to keep in mind that things change. We have no way to know how events in Canada and around the world will unfold in the coming months and years, and these developments may affect Canadians’ perceptions of SM.
It is possible, for example, that an economic downturn could worsen and that the U.S. could threaten broad tariffs on Canadian exports if protections for supply-managed products are not removed.
If Canadians begin to see SM as a liability, political support could erode.
Doyon says he partially agrees and adds that perceptions play a critical role in policymaking. “Current and future federal and provincial employees and politicians arrive in their position of authority with their perceptions,” he explains.
“If their perception is not aligned with the facts, then we have a big problem in terms of the type of decisions that will be made. I believe that their perceptions will, to some extent, reflect the perceptions of the general population. So, if only farmers perceive that SM is a good thing, that can be a problem for its future.”
When asked whether supply-managed poultry and egg production will continue in Canada, Doyon is optimistic. He notes that demand for these products is growing and likely to accelerate.
“More people will be using GLP-1 medications (Ozempic, etc.), which necessitate a higher protein intake, and eggs and poultry are a great source of high-quality and relatively cheap protein,” he says.
Doyon adds that he does not see trade negotiations with the U.S. as a major threat over the next five years for SM in eggs and poultry. “Moreover, these sectors have some margin to manoeuvre in terms of price and in terms of volume,” he notes, “if things get more complicated with the U.S.”
Industry response
Egg Farmers of Canada and Chicken Farmers of Canada were asked about plans to improve public understanding and support for SM.
CFC communications officer Chris Hofley says the organization has long focused on promoting and defending Canada’s SM system through advocacy, education and engagement with government, stakeholders and media.
“More recently, we have strengthened this work through collaborative initiatives like the Canadian Food Guardians campaign, developed alongside EFC, Turkey Farmers of Canada, Dairy Farmers of Canada and the Canadian Hatching Egg Producers,” he says.
“This campaign highlights a unified, consumer-facing approach – underscoring how SM supports food security, strong rural economies and high biosecurity standards.”
At the same time, Hofley reports that CFC’s Raised by a Canadian Farmer brand continues to connect with Canadians through social media and digital platforms.
“This approach is particularly effective with younger audiences – 27 per cent of Canadians aged 16-29 recall the brand from social media, making it a key awareness driver for this priority group,” he says.
“Overall, our efforts are both ongoing and evolving – combining traditional advocacy with more coordinated campaigns and modern digital outreach to ensure Canadians understand how SM works and why it matters.”
Doyon’s advice for industry groups is to focus on the issues that resonate most with Canadians today: food prices and supply stability.
“Educate the population on price,” he says, noting that factors such as climate and population density influence why Canadian-made products can sometimes be cheaper in the U.S.
He also recommends highlighting how SM supports local, decentralized poultry and egg production and processing across Canada.
Overall, to address the survey finding that Canadians know little about SM, Doyon urges industry groups to tell a compelling story.
“Facts and statistics alone do not create an emotion, narratives do.”
