The Blueberry market for has grown over the past several years due to its classification as a “superfood” (Robichaud 2006). There have been many studies proclaiming the benefits of incorporating blueberries into diets. Which include the improvement of heart and brain health along with the reduction in the risk of cancer (BC Blueberry Council 2018). The production of blueberries has a long history in Canada. Indigenous peoples of Eastern Canada used blueberries as a food and medicinal source (Robichaud 2006). The goal is to examine the blueberry commodity chain in a Canadian context. The paper will focus on the following topics: production and harvesting process, labour source, blueberry products and aspects of trade.
Production
Historically, …show more content…
A large majority of the workers are hired on a seasonal, temporary basis and according to Stats Canada reports, over 50% of farm workers (159,955/280,315) are employed in this fashion (2017). The agricultural sector has depended on migrant workers, such as orphaned boys from Britain, German war prisoners and Japanese Canadians who were interned. These groups were then followed by Indigenous peoples, Portuguese and Caribbean immigrants who were forced to work in this sector (Walia 2010).
Today, migrant workers work under the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program (SAWP) which was created by the Canadian government in 1966 (Walia 2010). As of January of 2017, there were over 21,000 workers employed by SAWP, the majority of which were in Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec (CBC News 2012). This program has two different streams, high-wage and low-wage. These are defined based on whether the employee is paid above or below the median hourly wage (Government of Canada 2018). Majority of workers that come to Canada are either from Jamaica and Mexico and will stay in Canada for up to eight months out of a year, with the opportunity to return in following years (CBC …show more content…
Blueberries can be processed into a variety of products, such as juices, ice cream, fruit snacks, candy and pet food (Bernard 2017). The top producers in this region include Blue Buffalo, a pet food brand; Kellogg, and General Mills (Bernard 2017). One of the most recognizable processed blueberry product is frozen blueberries. In Canada, the two main blueberry processors include Oxford Wild Blueberries, located in the Maritime provinces and Fraser Valley Packers, located in British Columbia. Oxford Wild and Fraser Valley Packers process blueberries through a method called Individually-Quick-Frozen and then packs them and ships their products throughout Canada and the United States (Oxford Wild Blueberries 2018, Fraser Valley Packers
Production
Historically, …show more content…
A large majority of the workers are hired on a seasonal, temporary basis and according to Stats Canada reports, over 50% of farm workers (159,955/280,315) are employed in this fashion (2017). The agricultural sector has depended on migrant workers, such as orphaned boys from Britain, German war prisoners and Japanese Canadians who were interned. These groups were then followed by Indigenous peoples, Portuguese and Caribbean immigrants who were forced to work in this sector (Walia 2010).
Today, migrant workers work under the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program (SAWP) which was created by the Canadian government in 1966 (Walia 2010). As of January of 2017, there were over 21,000 workers employed by SAWP, the majority of which were in Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec (CBC News 2012). This program has two different streams, high-wage and low-wage. These are defined based on whether the employee is paid above or below the median hourly wage (Government of Canada 2018). Majority of workers that come to Canada are either from Jamaica and Mexico and will stay in Canada for up to eight months out of a year, with the opportunity to return in following years (CBC …show more content…
Blueberries can be processed into a variety of products, such as juices, ice cream, fruit snacks, candy and pet food (Bernard 2017). The top producers in this region include Blue Buffalo, a pet food brand; Kellogg, and General Mills (Bernard 2017). One of the most recognizable processed blueberry product is frozen blueberries. In Canada, the two main blueberry processors include Oxford Wild Blueberries, located in the Maritime provinces and Fraser Valley Packers, located in British Columbia. Oxford Wild and Fraser Valley Packers process blueberries through a method called Individually-Quick-Frozen and then packs them and ships their products throughout Canada and the United States (Oxford Wild Blueberries 2018, Fraser Valley Packers