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Information for Consumers By Ruth Moyle ACK IN NOVEMBER our Home Eco« B nomics Extension Service was invited t2 participate in a “Farm City Forum sponsored by the Kiwanis Club at South Pe- terborough. The subject to be discussed was “The Farmer and the Consumer" and as you would gather, Miss McKercher was asked to send some one to speak for the consumer. One member on this panel represented the farmer, one spoke for the packagers and one for the retailers, and I was there to speak for you, the consumer. As sometimes occurs in discussions such as this. the representative of both packagers and retailers pointed out to the consumer, “We have never had it as good as we have it loâ€"day”. We were reminded how little food costs have risen in proportion to the rise in costs of other commodities. We were told how wonderfully Well modern packaging and processing serves us and how essential and important advertising is. Would you be interested in hearing what I had to say for you, the consumer? I do hope you will approve. First I emphasized the fact that today's informed consumer is sympathetic to the farm- er, that we are very aware he cannot possibly stay in business unless his returns are reasonâ€" able and comparable to other fields of en- deavour. I agreed enthusiastically that we are fortu- nate in Canada to-day. We are happy with the seasonal foods that are available to us the year round. We like the convenience and the sani- tation of packaged foods. Many of us are quite willing to pay extra for labourâ€"saving, time-saving, readyâ€"to~serve and eat foods. And generally we realize the increased cost of laâ€" bour, taxes, equipment, processing. marketing and merchandising have inevitably added to the cost of food. But at the same time women toâ€"day are beginning to question the wide divergence that exists between the prices we pay and the prices the farmer receives for his produce. We are beginning to feel we are paying more and more for services. for sales promotions and sales gimmicks (that we don’t need or even want) rather than being given the much-to-be- preferred advantage of lower food prices. What are some of these things we would gladly do without? Well. packaging pleases us, but up to a certain point only. USDA (United States Department of Agri- culture) figures showâ€"and I would guess 32 they are reasonably similar in Canada, that when an American family spends $20.00 on food, from $1.50 to $2.00 goes for the puck. age. Or from $72.00 to $96.00 goes into the garbage pail each year. That‘s a lot of money and we’d be happy to See much of the puck~ aging kept to the minimum. Lots of articles toâ€"day don’t need all the wrappings, two or three of them plus the overwrap that‘s de. signed solely to catch our eye, our fancy and our dollar. 1 also said we do not like the super-gigantic packages that have no correSponding econc'nmy in price. We don’t like packages marked with fractional and complicated weights, mean-ares and prices. Who wants to get out paper and pencil and, in the crowded aisle of a twing supermarket, work out the comparative .4151 per pound of 8 3/8 ounces at 5 1/?» an ounce? Such figures as these make it tically impossible to shop on a price basis. It is said promotional expenses, packnsflng. advertising, etc. have increased 400% a very short time. It is only realistic for i: :o expect, therefore, that we consumers are rying a good share of that added cost. When it came to advertising, I suggest .i ll is necessary to differentiate between the ‘1» ferent kinds. We are very happy to have 3.1 type which stores and supermarkets gin its daily or weeklyâ€"factual information on a. gs. grades, variety, trade names and prices. ':1 me is the other kind of advertising, however. '.li I for one am bored with and tired of? 21.1 kind which only conditions us to buy so at we become “conditioned”, not “inforn: consumers. There is one that sticks in my mind especiallyâ€"a certain product was il- vertised as the one with the “2 or 3 dn ri- sional flavour”, whatever that means or {.1 :5 like! Consumers want information but we \ "A it to be informative, useful and educatit. .:|. We deplore that which only sells us. And u don't like pressures to buy placed on A through pressures on the children. A frient' of mine calls that “the lowest form of advr‘ ‘- mg." Speaking along this line to an executive ' A large supermarket chain, I was told: “But 1- vertising is only a natural thing. It's someth- we all do from the cradle on. A baby 0 a and advertises his needs and wants and 1: .are supplied at once." My answer to this ms: “That may be true but just as a mother lemma to turn a deaf ear to a crying, complaints child, so we women now, at long last, MC beginning to build up a protective inclifferei'r'r3 to these undesirable and sometimes distasteflll kinds of sales promotion and advertising ‘l the same time objecting heartin to the find that we have to pay for some of it when M pay for our food.” rr: HOME AND COUNTRY