An online survey conducted by Ipsos Reid finds that 57% of the Canadians surveyed have a positive perception of agriculture in Canada, a 16% increase from when this survey was first conducted four years ago.

In 2006, 41% of Canadian respondents said they had a positive impression of Canadian agriculture, compared to 52% in 2009 and 57% in 2010. This increase was noted in nearly all provinces, though the strongest gains were noted in Ontario, where positive perceptions of the industry increased by 10% from 56% in 2009 to 66% in 2010. A small number (9%) of Ontarians reported a negative image of Canadian farming in 2010 versus 21% in 2006.

In this survey, farmers also ranked relatively highly among the public in terms of credibility on food and farming issues like animal welfare. Farmers ranked second to veterinarians on this issue, jumping from 59% in 2009 to 67% in 2010.