Nestled amongst our Thanksgiving classics is Canada’s second most-valuable fruit: the cranberry. It is easy to overlook the cranberry as merely seasonal. Sure, they’re tart and often relegated to the sidelines of our festive spread, and prices aren’t always realistic for daily consumption. Sounds similar to recent global perceptions of Canada… However, cranberries play a major role in Canada’s trade and production identities, even beyond the can-shaped jelly that will punctuate our tables this weekend.
Production to Make You Jelly
Despite being relatively hidden from grocery stores, North America supplies over 60% of global cranberries and production, value, and availability have been domestically increasing. According to cooperative and the world’s largest purchaser of cranberries, Ocean Spray, dried cranberries have now surpassed raisins in popularity (long live the California Raisin). Like all fruits, which tend to be water-intensive, cranberries rely on five months of growing days, ultimately confining production to our fruit-producing regions of British Columbia, The Maritimes, and Québec. Québec is no small grower! The province is responsible for approximately 60% of Canada’s cranberry supply and 20% of global cranberry supply. They are especially important to watch, as the province’s government and public institutions themselves maintain some of the strongest conventional and organic sector support (despite being overall on the decline since 2015) and greatest emerging market opportunity amongst the provinces.
Arguably, all Canadian fruit production is a difficult venture in part due to the patience required for fruit production and the difficult growing conditions. Such means years of land maintenance without revenue, costly reestablishment if production fails, and, in the case of cranberries, bog maintenance, at times, with additional economic challenges that create sector exclusivity.
As an example, the British Columbia Cranberry Marketing Commission provincially regulates the sector with a production quota for licensed cranberry farmers, only. Meanwhile, Québec’s water policies, while environmentally advanced and economically beneficial when paired with best management practices, tend to limit smallholder farm entry into the sector. Aligned with other agricultural sectors, advancing technologies are opportunities for production and input efficiency, and emerging pests and diseases, particularly in response to major climatic events, will be continued challenges. This is especially true in the organic sector which, beyond seeing a decline in cranberry tonnage the last few years, has fewer chemical controls than the conventional production stream.
A can of cranberry jelly is the result of much patience, resilience, and a whole lot of bog maintenance. Who knew?
Holidays and Beyond
Granted, the majority of Canadian cranberry success is viewed beyond our borders and with some processing, the industry is desperately trying to expand the uses for cranberries in attempts to generate year-round appeal. Processing technologies such as freezing, canning, and drying have been major proponents of year-round enjoyment for the seasonal berry. Diversifying where and how cranberries are used is the corner of the innovative space the industry is looking to. Both the frivolity of consumer trends and the berry’s palatability necessitate food (product) innovation.
Federal-provincial government support programs have been sporadically offered to develop climate resiliency and in establishing market footholds but a lack of oversight and mismanaged spending of $12 million ultimately reduced the amount of influence public institutions had on sector innovation. Cranberry Industry Development funds have instead since focused on expanding cranberry acres in regions where the industry is complementary to other commodities, or improving cranberry efficiency in regions known as productive powerhouses. Cran-Pac Foods, a Newfoundland and Labrador cooperative of cranberry farmers established in 2019, is an example of support needs missed in overarching developmental plans being addressed by private organisations. Federal and provincial business risk management resources can still be accessed by cranberry farmers, yet change is privately approached.
A portion of the waning farmer support is in response to cranberry prices. Naturally, agriculture is an economically risky venture and, with additional fruit production considerations not required for other commodities, the bottom line can be concerning. Between 1996 and 2015, the price of wholesale cranberries fell 96%, offering farmers a dime per kilogram. At the time, processors were encouraging increased production despite minimal profit availability, in preparation for a price increase that would not occur for another few years. Now, in the 2020s, prices are closer to $5/kg, signalling the uptick in cranberry recognition and global consumption.
The health properties of cranberries (i.e. antioxidants) and perceived automatic quality tied to organic have been and will continue to be the primary drivers of increased prevalence. A mere 2% inclusion of cranberry antioxidants as a meat colouring agent can slow protein oxidation and extend shelf-life and cranberry seeds are slowly pushing into the health space as a high fibre, high protein additive. Beyond health, as consumers explore more uses for cranberries, specifically dried cranberries (in chocolate, in salad), the more processing and production opportunities that will arise domestically. Especially as Canadians pride Canadian food, discovering (nationally) local products will only improve food sovereignty and our global reputation.
The Cranberry is as Resilient as Canadians
Bright red on the outside and tart on the inside, the cranberry, like Canada, is the best of both worlds. A star in its own right and an amazing flavour partner. Polite and unassuming but tough and distinct when it matters. Won’t apologise for being bold. Like us, cranberries know how to make the most out of the cold part of the year. While some may prefer to stay away from the cranberry (and convince others to do the same), we know that you can never destroy the cranberry completely; their resilience in the background of bigger and louder commodities means the right people have noticed. Canada will always be here to supply the world with cranberries, a great meal, friendship, and a story.
So, as you reach for that can-shaped cranberry jelly this Thanksgiving, remember the story behind the ruby-red berry. From bogs to your table, cranberries are more than just a tart tradition, they’re a testament to Canadian agricultural resilience.
From all of us at SAIFood, eat lots and have a Happy Thanksgiving!
