Rudi Fischbacher

This is an email I was expecting. ⬇️ Took less than 24 hours. The Canadian Dairy Commission fully controlled by Dairy Farmers, a Crown corporation—not Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada—is demanding a correction based on a document in which the section detailing government funding and support was completely redacted. The redactions suggest that records related to government support do exist, but they have not been disclosed. I have no intention of issuing a correction until I receive an unredacted version of the relevant information. Transparency should come before demands for retractions.

15 years ago, yogurt maker Chobani tried to enter Canada and build a plant in Kingston, Ontario, but was blocked by regulatory and supply management barriers. Instead of fighting it long-term, they expanded elsewhere, in the United States. Today: ➡️They buy about 9% of all the milk produced in New York State. ➡️They process 1.6 billion pounds of milk per year in New York. ➡️They built the world’s largest yogurt plant in Idaho. ➡️They’re now building an even bigger one in Rome, New York (over 2 million square feet, 1,000+ jobs). That is the true cost of supply management.

To my X followers, I’ve worked with the media for nearly 25 years. For most of that time, the relationship was professional and balanced. But in recent years, something has shifted. I am increasingly concerned about the state of our democracy — particularly how media, in general, are informing Canadians about food policy, food inflation, and economic policy. I now find myself learning more about Canada’s economy and policy changes from American outlets than from Canadian ones. Much of our national coverage feels reactive, shallow, or overly fixated on partisan narratives rather than substantive policy analysis. What troubles me most is the lack of scrutiny applied evenly across governments and institutions. For example, when the Bank of Canada suggested that Ottawa’s counter-tariffs contributed to food inflation, only one major outlet — Bloomberg — gave it meaningful coverage. The grocery benefit program received very little examination regarding how it would be financed. It took days before anyone pressed for clarity. During the latest spike in food inflation, several outlets turned to the same small circle of commentators who dismissed any potential role of federal policy — carbon pricing, GST holidays, counter-tariffs — despite mounting evidence that policy decisions can and do affect food prices. Instead of investigating structural drivers of inflation, much of the coverage focuses on fact-checking opposition rhetoric, even though the opposition has not governed since 2015. Scrutiny should be applied equally — not selectively. Quebec media, while imperfect, appear to have maintained a broader range of debate. In much of the rest of Canada, I see increasing concentration of voices — often from the same region, Ontario, often reflecting similar policy perspectives — and less diversity of thought grounded in empirical research. This isn’t about partisan politics. It’s about accountability, transparency, and healthy democratic discourse. Media are under financial pressure — that’s real. But public trust depends on independence and depth. Subsidy structures, incentives, and newsroom economics all matter. Canada deserves stronger policy journalism — especially on food affordability, supply chains, and economic resilience. We need more data-driven analysis, more intellectual diversity, and more courage to ask uncomfortable questions — regardless of which party is in power. Until that happens, Canadians would be wise to diversify their news sources and think critically about what they’re being told — and what they’re not.

Five years ago this week, #Buttergate melted more than butter. In February 2021, a column in the Journal de Montréal ignited a national debate about palm supplements in dairy feed and why Canadian butter was suddenly harder at room temperature. Within weeks, supply chains adjusted, palm-based additives were voluntarily paused, and consumers realized something powerful: food transparency matters. But now, many believe palm supplements are back. When Canadians ask tough questions about their food system, change can happen fast.