Dairy Goat Sustainability Proof-of-Concept

Client: Ontario Federation of Agriculture

We are proud to have worked with a coalition of Ontario farm and food organizations and ten Ontario dairy goat producers to undertake a proof-of-concept of the Sustainable Farm and Food Initiative concept. The sector operates within a global agri-food system and evidence of a commitment to sustainability outcomes is an increasingly common expectation. In fact, there are already numerous sustainability programs in various stages of implementation throughout the global agri-food value chain, ranging from voluntary programs to more intensely scrutinized standards and codes that require third-party audits and certification. 

Wilton Group employed a whole value chain approach to this project by collaborating with OMAFRA industry experts, dairy goat producers and processors. Using a grassroots approach, we visited ten dairy goat farms across Ontario to test the viability of the Sustainable Farm and Food Initiative concept. Through this work, we were able to confirm the demand and feasibility of a 'made-in-Canada' sustainability platform. 

By employing this open, all-inclusive approach to testing the Sustainable Farm and Food Initiative concept, Wilton Group was able to determine the viability of the concept, allowing it to maintain the momentum gained over the previous two years of work. After confirming its value, the Initiative is now preparing to consult on a national approach. Now named the Canadian Agri-food Sustainability Initiative, you can find out more at www.agrifoodsustainability.ca. You can also follow the initiative on Twitter by following @sustainfarmfood.

This project was funded in part through Growing Forward 2 (GF2), a federal-provincial-territorial initiative. 

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