Public Opinion Research with Canadians to support communications on African swine fever (ASF) 2022-23

Travelers

Individuals who travel internationally often bring items back to Canada with them, ranging from souvenirs and alcohol to clothing and food items. Travelers shared a range of views when it came to bringing back food into Canada. For the most part, travelers indicated that they do declare food items when traveling home. Most are comfortable bringing back food that they feel will easily clear customs (for example, packaged or processed products such as snacks). Many travelers do not attempt to bring back fresh or unprocessed food items such as raw fruit, vegetables or meat, mostly out of concern for keeping the items fresh during their long trip home, especially raw meat. If they do bring unprocessed food items home, they tend to be seeds, fruit, or herbs.

There is a general awareness of the legislative requirements related to bringing certain food items back into Canada. Some have become aware of these requirements from having travelled in the past, and others have visited websites to research what was allowed into the country. Although they are aware of these requirements, some do view them more as suggestions than hard and fast rules that could lead to heavy fines. Few were also aware of the potential impact on Canada of bringing in food items that are not allowed. For the most part, participants suspected that it might introduce a foreign species, such as a foreign plant or insect. A few also suspected it might introduce a disease. However, participants did not generally believe that one food item could have too detrimental an impact on Canada or the Canadian economy as a whole.

Members of ethnic communities

Members of ethnic communities rarely feel the need to “import” or bring back special or traditional food items that aren’t readily available in their area. For most, they can in fact find all those items, or similar ones, from somewhere in Canada. If they do obtain those kinds of food items, they tend to be when they travel overseas or when family members visit them from international destinations. Similar to general results pertaining to travelers, these participants avoid obtaining raw produce or meats, again mostly out of concerns for encountering problems at customs or out of concern for having the food item spoil by the time they want to consume it. Members of ethnic communities do not generally receive or order food items from international destinations. They avoid ordering these types of products online because it is cost-prohibitive. They avoid receiving it in the mail from family or friends located overseas out of concern for freshness.

Like travelers, these individuals tended to be fairly aware of legislative requirements limiting bringing back food items when traveling home from an international destination. Few however seemed aware that there were requirements in place that prohibited having food items mailed to them. The extent to which this target audience was familiar with the reasons behind such requirements was consistent with what travelers shared – the food item brought into Canada could introduce a foreign species (a plant or insect) or it could introduce a virus or disease (especially spoiled meat).

Rural residents and pig owners

Other than pig owners themselves, few individuals who live in rural regions or in proximity to pigs seemed to take any particular measures beyond what typical travelers do when returning home from an international trip. When specifically prompted for why they should take certain measures, these participants tended to be triggered by the reference to pigs and pig farms more than anything else. They suspect it could be related to spreading diseases although they were far from knowing how serious the impacts could be.

Among pig owners, particularly those with big farms, there was more awareness of requirements when it comes to travelling with or importing food items and thus avoiding doing so. On the other hand, here, too, there were those who admitted to not really considering the requirements when they had travelled in the past.

When travelling back to Canada after international trips, pig owners reported taking safety measures such as washing hands and decontaminating clothes, and using sanitizer and disinfectants to avoid transferring any illnesses to their pigs. Those on big pig farms also spoke of following isolation rules and high decontamination standards. These individuals also avoid visiting pig facilities outside of Canada to avoid bringing illnesses back to their own pigs.

Non-pig owners

Individuals who do not own pigs but live in rural regions, very rarely come into contact with pigs or with individuals who work with pigs. Sporadic contact might involve shopping from a local farmer (although they do not come close to where pigs are kept). Very few interact with pigs from local farmers, mostly because they are not set up as petting zoos – they are commercial pig farmers that are not accessible to the public.

Other than a few individuals who had worked for companies that supplied farms, non-pig owners were not particularly familiar with any safety protocols in place on farms or properties with pigs. Participants did not seem to be too concerned given they do not visit pig farms.

A few participants who had friends or family with pet pigs were somewhat more familiar with protocols, for example indicating that they were always required to wash their hands before and after visiting with the pig.

Pig owners

Pig owners consisted of a range of smaller hobby farmers, commercial farmers, as well as individuals who own pigs as pets. These pig owners were typically confident in their knowledge when it comes to keeping and caring for pigs, considering themselves experts, irrespective of how many pigs they own.

When it comes to tending to their pigs, answers varied based on the number of pigs and the type of pig farm. Commercial pig farmers described large stables that comply with all the requirements and regulations they are subject to. Hobby farmers who also have other animals besides pigs, which was quite common, also tended to keep their pigs in their own barn or pen on their property. Some were free to roam around the property, while others did not allow their pigs around other animals. Among those who had one or two pet pigs, it was more common for the pig(s) to come inside the house as well.

For those with hobby farms or pet pigs, family members, often children, help out with tending to the pigs and follow certain rules and standards. Larger pig producers have staff to assist with caring for their pigs.

Pig farmers do not use table scraps as feed but only use special pig feeds, antibiotics and vitamins. Feeding logs are strictly kept and checklists maintained. On the other hand, those who have pet pigs sometimes feed them food scraps such as leftovers from their own meals in addition to their grains, vegetables, barley or special pig feed.

Qualitative research disclaimer

Travelers

In the focus groups with international travelers, there was interest in exploring what travelers bring home with them, if meat is included or even considered and what travelers generally know about the legislative requirements regarding bringing certain food items back into Canada.

Individuals who travel internationally often bring items back to Canada with them. These typically range from souvenirs and alcohol to clothing and food items.

Travelers shared a range of views when it came to bringing back food into Canada. For the most part, travelers indicated that they do declare food items when traveling home. Most are comfortable bringing back food that they feel will easily clear customs – these typically include packaged or processed products such as snacks. As a rule, many travelers do not attempt to bring back fresh or unprocessed food items such as raw fruit, vegetables or meat. They avoid these types of food items mostly out of concern for keeping the items fresh during their long trip home, especially raw meat. If they do bring unprocessed food items home, they tend to be seeds, fruit, or herbs.

Some will bring back particular food items from other countries which they may not be able to purchase in Canada (for example, candy, pastries, or other treats). A few also mentioned visiting their family in other countries and bringing back certain foods or particular brands of products that are less accessible or not available in Canada.

There is a general awareness of the legislative requirements related to bringing certain food items back into Canada. For some, having travelled many times over the years, they have become aware of these requirements. For some, their awareness of the requirements comes from past experiences with having items confiscated.

“I travel a lot, so I generally know the rules and I don’t do anything dairy, meat, fresh fruit, vegetables. I just stick to basically potato chips and candy.” – Female, 37, international traveller, Ontario

Others did recall seeing the requirements on customs forms and on signs when entering the Canadian airport. Some had also developed some awareness of the rules by visiting websites, almost always Government of Canada websites, either before traveling to their foreign destination or before leaving their destination to come home.

Some also seemed to have developed their own travelling rules to keep their experience as trouble-free as possible, and part of those rules involved never bringing back food items back to Canada to avoid having items confiscated or having to bother to check the requirements. Others mentioned only bringing items such as candy, or other packaged treats to avoid any issues.

“At first, it was hard for me to understand what I could bring back and what I couldn’t. So, I was kind of always airing on the safe side, making sure that I didn’t bring back anything that I was not allowed.” – Female, 35, international traveller, British Columbia

Some participants also do not feel a need to bring back products when they visit their family in other countries as they can find most items in Canada anyways.

“Nowadays, especially Vancouver, is so diverse you can buy anything… There’s a lot of Middle Eastern shops and international shops.” – Male, 20, international traveller, British Columbia

However, other participants mentioned that they will check online to see what is allowed to be brought into the country before they arrive at the airport. Additionally, some were under the impression that as long as what they are bringing back is declared when they go through customs, they will travel with food. A few participants were less concerned about the requirements and followed the mindset “if they take it, they take it”.

Although they are aware of the legislative requirements, some do view them more as suggestions than hard and fast rules that could lead to heavy fines. Some had reported bringing prohibited items into the country before and not declaring it, such as fresh fruit or meat.

When it comes to when they start thinking about what is and what is not allowed to be brought into Canada, some think about it while they are packing their bags, while others will refrain from buying things if they are unsure whether they will be allowed to bring it into Canada.

“I’m always aware - before I buy stuff my first thought is ‘can I bring this back’ if that is my intent like if I am buying clothes or a souvenir. When I am packing my bags, I always check in case I missed something that I shouldn’t bring back.” – Female, 48, international traveller, Ontario

On the other hand, some may not think about the legislative requirements until they are at the airport or in line at customs.

“I often don’t think about it until I’m in the line. Before I go on trips, depending on where I’m going I’ll have an idea of the snacks I want to pick up… but then I don’t think about it too much until I’m in the line again.” – Male, 45, international traveller, Ontario

Few were aware of the potential impact on Canada of bringing in food items that are not allowed. For the most part, participants suspected that it might introduce a foreign species, such as a foreign plant or insect. A few also suspected it might introduce a disease.

“I watched a YouTube video… more regarding the US than Canada, but people bring back fresh fruits and veggies. Sometimes there is parasites… People sometimes bring back seeds… which is even worse. [It can be] full of insects.” – Male, 20, international traveller, British Columbia

“Fruits do carry a lot of insects and could spread itself around. As far as meats are concerned, if it’s not inspected, then it’s not deemed safe. If it’s not safe, then you can cause yourself harm and your friends.” – Male, 71, international traveller, Ontario

“Even within provinces, like if you go from Newfoundland to Nova Scotia, they make sure you don’t bring plant material because it might infect the soil. There’s potato blight or whatever it is. So maybe it has something to do with bringing something in that could impact our industry here.” - Male, 46, international traveller, Ontario

Some also suspected that bringing food items back into Canada was discouraged because it might reduce demand for similar products in Canada, and by extension it might hinder the Canadian economy. For these participants, the legislative requirements were seen more through an economic protectionism lens than through a disease prevention one.

“I don’t think there much of a risk. I just think that if they don’t have regulations around it, people are going to take it ten times as far as they should. So, they need to have some kind of limits… they want us to protect the industries that are here.” – Male, 46, international traveller, Ontario

In the grand scheme of things, participants did not generally believe that one food item could have too detrimental an impact on Canada or the Canadian economy as a whole.

“I think there’s a risk, but it’s a very low risk.” – Male, 45, international traveller, Ontario

“For your average tourist, I don’t think were risking anything. But I guess if you’re talking about tens of thousands of people you elevate it… If you’re talking about importing things from farms or on a commercial scale, I’m glad that the government is looking at stuff like that of course, but I mean, someone jumping on a plane coming from the Dominican taking back a sample of meat, I don’t really think that is going to be a big problem.” – Male, 46, international traveller, Ontario

Members of ethnic communities

In the focus groups with members of ethnic communities, there was interest in exploring whether these individuals obtain food items from outside Canada, if meat is included or even considered and what they generally know about the legislative requirements regarding bringing certain food items into Canada.

Members of ethnic communities rarely feel the need to “import” or bring back special or traditional food items that aren’t readily available in their area. For most, they can find all those items, or similar ones, in their area or, at least, from somewhere in Canada. They also don’t want the hassle of dealing with customs or having to pay extra duties.

If participants do obtain special or traditional food items, it tends to be when they travel overseas or when family members visit them from international destinations. For example, one participant mentioned that their parents brought a Japanese soup to Canada, while another discussed how their Italian family has packed meats, cheeses and coffee to bring with them to Canada. With that being said, similar to general results pertaining to travelers, most of these participants avoid obtaining raw produce or meats, again mostly out of concern for encountering problems at customs or out of concern for having the food item spoil by the time they want to consume it.

Members of ethnic communities do not generally receive or order food items from international destinations. They avoid ordering these types of products online because it is cost-prohibitive. They avoid receiving it in the mail from family or friends located overseas out of concern for freshness (for example, bacteria growing on meat or dairy products).

Like travelers, these individuals tended to be aware of legislative requirements limiting bringing back food items when traveling home from an international destination. These participants typically knew about these requirements through their experiences filling out customs forms that ask what is being brought into the country when they have travelled. Like the international traveller groups, some individuals in the ethnic groups had also experienced having items seized by customs officers, reinforcing these requirements. Others have had to look up the requirements on behalf of their family members who wanted to bring items into the country.

Few however seemed aware that there were legislative requirements in place that prohibited having food items mailed to them.

The extent to which this target audience was familiar with the reasons behind such requirements was consistent with what travelers shared – the food item brought into Canada could introduce a foreign species (a plant or insect) or it could introduce a virus or disease (especially spoiled meat).

“I think the biggest concern is bacteria, and bringing back something that is not native to North America.” – Male, 76, member of ethnic group, Ontario

“Maybe not Europe, but other parts of the world obviously have different health care systems … for example meat maybe they have something that grows on their meat is something that Canada doesn’t have, and they bring it here and we don’t know how to treat it or handle it” – Female, 29, member of ethnic group, Ontario

Participants did not generally believe that one food item could have a very detrimental impact on Canada or the Canadian economy as a whole. Similar to the groups with Canadians who travel internationally, some participants in the ethnic groups suspected that the requirements might be there to protect the Canadian economy.

“I think that’s the excuse they use to make us comply, to kinda make us scared. I’m trying to wrap my head around it… like if I bring it, its bad, but if I go to the grocery store where everything in the produce section is from all these foreign countries, that’s okay?” – Male, 42, member of an ethnic group, Ontario

Rural residents and pig owners

In the focus groups with individuals who live in rural regions, who live near pig farms and those who own pigs, there was interest in exploring whether these individuals take particular precautions when returning home after an international trip.

Other than pig owners themselves, few individuals who live in rural regions or in proximity to pigs seemed to take any particular measures beyond what typical travelers do when returning home from an international trip.

When specifically prompted for why they should take certain measures given that they live in proximity to pigs and pig farms, these participants tended to be triggered by the reference to pigs and pig farms more than anything else. Some did recall seeing customs forms specifically referencing farms and pigs in particular although they were not entirely clear on why the requirements specifically referenced pigs and pig farms. They suspect it could be related to spreading diseases although they were far from knowing how serious the impacts could be. Many admitted to automatically checking the “no” box on those forms without thinking twice about it.

Among pig owners, particularly those with big farms, there was more awareness of legislative requirements when it comes to travelling with or importing food items and thus avoiding doing so. On the other hand, here, too, there were those who admitted to not really considering the requirements when they had travelled in the past. That said, these individuals clarified they had not travelled recently or had not travelled with prohibited items. Some felt that the focus group discussion might trigger them to put more consideration into what they are bringing back the next time they travel.

When it comes to other precautions when travelling back to Canada after international trips, pig owners reported taking safety measures such as washing hands and decontaminating clothes and using sanitizer and disinfectants to avoid transferring any illnesses to their pigs or to the public. Some mention that they have these standards in place regardless of travel and explained it to be common sense for them to shower, change clothes, or sanitize before entering the barn.

“We have a hobby farm… we’re very careful with our pig. We have very strict rules about using boot and hand sanitizer before going in. Before we give any type of feed to the pig, we make sure that everything is clean. We’re strictly feeding the pig it’s pellets. We’re very careful because we’re very aware of the swine flu and how dangerous it is. We also make sure that anyone who has been in contact with other animals isn’t around our pig.” – Female, 43, hobby farmer, Manitoba

Those on big pig farms also spoke of following isolation rules (such as not going near the pigs for a certain amount of time) and high decontamination standards. These individuals also avoid visiting pig facilities outside of Canada (such as when visiting the U.S.) to avoid bringing illnesses back to their own pigs.

“I never used to think about it, but just in recent years with everything that when on. Then we’ve been taking a bigger role on the farm so it’s definitely a bigger priority for us. My dad’s got a big rule, if I travel anywhere, I go to BC often, so when I come back, I’m not allowed on the farm for at least a week.” – Male, 30, commercial farmer, Saskatchewan

Non-pig owners

Individuals who do not own pigs but live in rural regions, including in proximity to pigs, very rarely come into contact with pigs or with individuals who work with pigs. Sporadic contact might involve shopping from a local farmer, although they do not come close to where pigs are kept.

Very few interact with pigs from local farmers, mostly because they are not set up as petting zoos – they are commercial pig farmers that are not accessible to the public. It was understood by the general public, and confirmed by pig farmers in the groups, that visitors are not welcomed near pigs. This was seen as unhealthy for both pigs and humans. A few individuals worked or had worked for companies that supplied farms, including pig farms specifically.

Other than those who had worked for farming supply companies, non-pig owners were not particularly familiar with any safety protocols in place on farms or properties with pigs. Participants did not seem to be too concerned given they do not visit pig farms.

In the few instances where they did visit a pig farm, participants seemed to recall various rules or protocols in place at the farm itself. Otherwise, participants could not recall having seen or heard protocols anywhere else.

A few participants who had friends or family with pet pigs were somewhat more familiar with protocols, for example indicating that they were always required to wash their hands before and after visiting with the pig.

When asked about how information on animal diseases is typically shared, those who lived near pigs did not seem to have any specific knowledge of animal diseases due to their proximity to pigs. These individuals felt they would probably hear about these topics on the news, although they did not recall hearing anything in particular.

Pig owners

Pig owners participating in this research consisted of a range of smaller hobby farmers, commercial farmers, as well as individuals who own pigs as pets. Pig owners were typically confident in their knowledge when it comes to keeping and caring for pigs, considering themselves “experts”, irrespective of how many pigs they own, or the reasons for owning pigs (farming versus as pets).

When it comes to tending to their pigs, answers varied based on the number of pigs and the type of pig farm. Commercial pig farmers described large stables that comply with all the rules and regulations to which they are subject. Hobby farmers who also have other animals besides pigs, which was quite common, also tended to keep their pigs in their own separate barn or pen on their property. Some were free to roam around the property, while others did not allow their pigs around other animals. Among those who had one or two pet pigs, it was more common for the pig(s) to come inside the house as well.

“They’re totally in their own barn, they’re separate for our other animals.” – Male, 50, pig owner (commercial), New Brunswick

“We do mostly have them indoors just because commercially, we have a large amount and with environmentally controlled areas, we have to be able to safety remove the feces and urine which can cause environmental impacts to our soils with that large amount of swine in one controlled area. It’s not so easy to have them just free ranging as you would with a smaller amount of pigs.” – Female, 42, pig owner (commercial), Newfoundland and Labrador

For those with hobby farms or pet pigs, family members, often children, help out with tending to the pigs. Everyone contributes to care and feeding and follows certain rules and standards. Larger pig producers have staff to assist with caring for their pigs.

Pig farmers do not use table scraps as feed but only use special pig feeds, antibiotics and vitamins. Feeding logs are strictly kept and checklists maintained. On the other hand, those who have pet pigs sometimes feed them food scraps such as leftovers from their own meals; however, it was more common for those with a pet pig or hobby farm to mainly or only feed them their own food, such as grains, vegetables, barley or special pig feed.

“We have a big bucket under our sink, and my kids know if there’s any leftovers on their plate it all goes in there – lettuce, egg, you name it. Everything is in there and that gets fed to [the pigs] later on.” – Female, 47, hobby/pet pig owner, Nova Scotia

“They’re quite well fed. We give them vitamins and minerals daily. They’re pets, so they’re part of out animal family. [They get fed] a lot of grains or barley and feed like that… We do buy them special food as well. But at the same time, on occasion if we do have leftovers of something, it’s kind of a treat for them.” – Male, 52, hobby/pet pig owner, New Brunswick

When asked if there were any particular legal aspects related to what you can and cannot feed pigs, some commercial farmers brought up antibiotics and discussed how pigs must not be on any medications or antibiotics for a certain amount of time before selling or slaughtering the animal. Otherwise, pig owners could not think of any particular legal requirements when it comes to feeding pigs.

When probed about biosecurity checklists, most of the commercial farmers chimed in to share that this was how they keep track of their pigs.

“I hear [my dad] talking about that all the time. Little things that we got to do. Like we don’t allow visitors on our farm…. There’s a lot of dangers involved in that. One sick pig could ruin our entire livestock.” – Male, 30, commercial farmer, Saskatchewan

Pig owners were asked where they typically obtain guidance and information on these topics. While some commercial farmers discussed having a network of various resources, most rely on their veterinarian for information, with the Internet being another key resource. One pig owner recalled a specific Government of Canada website that discussed ASF which they had landed on recently when doing a search online, however while this participant was referencing ASF, they also mistook the “F” for “flu” instead of “fever”. However, after being prompted on the correct name, a commercial farmer chimed in acknowledging that the disease was called African Swine Fever and was not related to Swine Flu.

“I’ll talk to our vet usually is how we find out information. Sometimes I’ll read stuff online…. Google, or Government of Canada sites are always good. They talk about swine flus and what might be going on… I recently was reading something about an African swine flu. I can’t tell you exactly how I got to that page, I just recall it was a Government of Canada site for sure.” – Female, 47, hobby/pet pig owner, Nova Scotia

African Swine Fever

Awareness of African Swine Fever specifically was quite low and it is highly probable that some participants were conflating this disease with swine flu. Although many participants did know the difference between a “flu” and a “fever”, and many recognized that swine flu and ASF were not related, they could not easily explain the difference between ASF and swine flu. Consistent with the very low level of awareness of ASF, nearly none of the participants had seen, read or heard anything related to ASF over the past year or so, and nobody had actively looked for information on the disease.

For the most part, only a few large pig farmers had heard of ASF in the past. Of these few, some were aware that the disease is deadly to pigs and felt that biosecurity measures and only buying pigs from reputable sources would protect their livestock.

One participant from an ethnic group discussed seeing an announcement on the airplane television while flying to/from Vietnam. He remembered that the announcement advised passengers not to bring pork into Taiwan or they will be fined – this was seen as a measure to protect Taiwan’s pig population which is currently not affected.

When it comes to learning about this type of disease, pig owners typically received this kind of information through formal and informal channels, rather than actively looking for it. Those who own pigs often get their information on animal health and diseases from their farming community networks, from places where they get their feed, from the pork industry association, from the federal government directly (CFIA), or from their vet.

Similarly, awareness of wild pigs in Canada was also quite low. Among the very few aware of them, the biggest perceived challenge they presented was that they do significant damage to farmer fields. A few said that they assume all pigs carry diseases, especially wild pigs. While a couple could recall reading about wild boars, they could not remember exactly what they read or what regions in Canada were affected.

Overall, most participants who had heard of wild pigs were unaware of the specific concerns beyond invasiveness, destruction to land or potential danger to humans. With that being said, one participant from an ethnic group had listened to a podcast which discussed the issue of wild pigs in the United States and how there is a risk of contamination to non-wild pigs. Another participant from the rural Canadian groups shared that they had heard of the issue in the U.S. and believed the problem was moving up towards the border. Farmers themselves suggested they are always mindful of predators, although they did not necessarily have extensive knowledge or concern about a wild pig issue, although they suspect it would be an issue if wild pigs were to get into pig farms.

Managing animal disease in Canada

In terms of how animal diseases are “managed” in Canada, participants tended to believe that it is generally well managed. They attribute this to the fact that such diseases are not constantly in the headlines and that they do not tend to see meat recalls all that often. There was a belief that when food recalls, or other issues do happen, the government responds quickly and can trace down where the product was manufactured or sourced to ensure other products are safe, which gave them the sense that potential animal diseases would be managed in a similar fashion. One participant seemed to reference Avian Influenza and how it was managed in Canada, however they did not specifically reference the name of the disease.

“I think they’re on top of it. We hear about the turkey farms in the lower mainland, and they were fast to act on that. There was a similar problem in Alberta, and they were fast to act on that.” – Female, 77, international traveller, British Columbia

With that being said, a few discussed how fast other illnesses such as COVID-19 spread into and across Canada and thus would be weary of how quickly ASF could potentially spread across Canada. Another suggested that they would not be concerned as there will always be viruses or diseases going around and not all will be as severe.

Many associate Health Canada, Agriculture Canada, and their provincial department of health with animal disease management in Canada. Very few mentioned the CFIA spontaneously although, when mentioned by the moderator, many acknowledged that it would make sense that this agency is one of the organizations responsible for monitoring animal diseases. A few who were unaware of the specific branches that manage animal diseases suggested that there may be some sort of animal disease control, while others brought up the Food and Drug Administration or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States.

Pig owners and those living near pigs

These participants were shown the following website: Close your gate on African swine fever - Canadian Food Inspection Agency (canada.ca).

A poster with the title, “Close your gate on African swine fever,” is shown.

An awareness poster with the title, “Close your gate on African swine fever,” is shown. A photograph of a man and a little girl in a pig farm is shown on the right. A button, “Get the biosecurity checklist,” is present below the description on the left.

A figure illustrates the importance of preventing African swine fever.

A figure provides the importance of preventing African swine fever and protecting pigs from African swine fever. Tools and resources for farmers with links to Swine biosecurity, basic principles of biosecurity, and know the signs of A S F are given at the bottom. Measures for animal feed, wild pigs, food scraps, people, and buying pigs are given. Silhouettes of a pig, a lock, and a notepad are shown on the left.

Overall, participants tended to consider the content on this website informative, not overly dense, and easy to understand. Some would see themselves clicking on the link to view the biosecurity checklist.

As well, the website was generally seen as targeting (smaller) pig owners, and the main message was considered clear.

Some suggested making the text that informs them that “there is no treatment for ASF” bold or a headline. It was also suggested to add information about the spread of the disease around the globe.

The website and images brought up a discussion from some of the pig owners who felt that this information was especially important for larger commercial farmers who have a large number of pigs since the disease risks killing off their entire herd. This then prompted some to suggest that there should be awareness efforts about ASF in places such as feed shops.

Ethnic groups and international travellers

These participants were shown the following website: Protect Canada’s pigs from African swine fever - Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

Participants tended to consider the content of these images informative, easy to understand and laid out in a user-friendly fashion. The capsule approach with an image for each theme was appreciated.

Participants shared that the mention of the maximum penalty of $1,300 grabbed their attention. Some suggested that the site should include a direct link to a list of ASF-infected countries.

While most appreciated the range of languages in which material was available, many also questioned why certain languages had been selected and why more are not available. Some assumed that these were the languages of the countries where ASF was prevalent, but they would like to see that made clear.

Participants were also shown the following online advertising concepts:

A figure illustrates four advertising concepts.

A figure shows four different advertising concepts. The first concept shows a poster shared in social media, the tagline reads, “Don’t pack pork.” A silhouette of a pork with a suitcase and the text Canada are present in the poster. The second poster shows a suitcase with clothes, apparels, and foods made of pork with the tagline, “don’t pack pork.” The third concept shows a social media poster with the tagline, “Don’t mail pork.” A silhouette of a pork with a not approved file is shown on the right. The fourth poster is a pamphlet with the same content as in the third social media poster.

Participants generally felt that these concepts would be noticeable if they saw them online or in social media. The information was deemed easy to understand for the most part.

The concept stating to not pack pork was seen as far more relevant than the one stating to not mail pork, which for many was fairly inconceivable. As they had discussed earlier, this was not something they have done in the past.

Many felt that the design of the “package” in the “Don’t mail pork” concept was weak mostly because it did not look like a package.

As many participants were not familiar with ASF, how it spreads or how it could impact them, Canadian pigs or the Canadian economy, any concept that gave the “why” behind the recommendation to not pack or mail pork was preferred. Participants felt it was more impactful and more meaningful.

The concept with the open suitcase received mixed reviews. While some liked that it showed meat in the suitcase which made it intuitive, others felt it was less credible and hard to decipher.

Individuals who own pigs were also shown the following concepts:

Four figures represents the concepts to raise awareness about African Swine Fever.

A figure shows four slides used to spread awareness. All the slides have a photograph of a man and a little girl standing in a pig farm. The first slide has a text, “Protect your pigs from African Swine Fever.” This first slide leads to the second slide with a learn more button. The third slide has a text, “Close the gate on African Swine Fever.” This third slide leads to the fourth slide with the button, “Get the Checklist.”

Participants felt that these concepts mostly targeted hobby farm owners rather than commercial pig farmers given the picture of a small girl in a field with small pigs. There was also concern among some farmers that if these ads were on social media, they would not see them since they do not spend much time online. Some suggested advertisement efforts in places that sell feed or supplies where farmers may be more likely to see them.

“I don’t do social media. I’d never see this if I was a farmer.” – Male, 42, rural Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador

“As for the people who aren’t on social media, maybe this could be wherever you pick up your feed. Maybe they could have some type of sign that they ask people to put up to let them know to Canada.ca so they can find out more if they are pig farmers.” – Female, 42, pig owner (commercial), Newfoundland and Labrador

While the message is clear, the concepts got mixed feedback. There was some sense that it was not serious or alarming enough given the seriousness of the threat of ASF. The idea that ASF was deadly and has no cure does not come across. More direct messaging (“your pig may die”) was said to be more attention-grabbing and direct.

The slogan “Protect your pig” resonated more with pet pig owners while farmers were more likely to relate to the idea of gates. Some preferred the direct call to action to “get the checklist” while others, mostly those less familiar, preferred the more general “learn more.”

Some would prefer to see the “Protect your pigs” slogan combined with “get the checklist”.

“I think the “Protect your pigs from African Swine Fever” is great – keep that. But I like the checklist. Because when you hear “learn more”, especially from a government agency… it’s not actionable. But if you’re telling me my pigs might die and you get a checklist… I’m going to click on that and see what I need to do to protect them.” – Male, 52, hobby farmer/pet pig owner, New Brunswick

Finally, participants were asked if they preferred a slogan that said “Don’t pack pork” or one that said “Pigs don’t fly.” While many chuckled at the second option, most tended to prefer the current slogan of “Don’t pack pork.” Participants felt that the alternative slogan (“Pigs don’t fly”) would not make them associate bringing back pork products when returning to Canada from an international trip.

Several agreed that a serious issue deserved a serious slogan and felt that “Pigs don’t fly” reduces the level of concern for ASF.

“I think now is not the time for word play when it comes to a serious issue like this… if I see this on an ad that is meant to protect Canadians, it would actually make me upset.” – Male, 31, member of ethnic group, British Columbia

As well, given how little they know about ASF, the more direct the message or instructions (in this case to not pack pork), the better.

A. Introduction

Hello/Bonjour, my name is [NAME] and I am with Quorus Consulting Group, a national public opinion research company. We’re planning a series of online discussion groups on behalf of the Government of Canada with people in your area. Would you prefer to continue in English or French? / Préférez-vous continuer en anglais ou en français?

[INTERVIEWER NOTE: FOR ENGLISH GROUPS, IF PARTICIPANT WOULD PREFER TO CONTINUE IN FRENCH, PLEASE RESPOND WITH, “Malheureusement, nous recherchons des gens qui parlent anglais pour participer à ces groupes de discussion. Nous vous remercions de votre intérêt.” FOR FRENCH GROUPS, IF PARTICIPANT WOULD PREFER TO CONTINUE IN ENGLISH, PLEASE RESPOND WITH, “Unfortunately, we are looking for people who speak French to participate in this discussion group. We thank you for your interest.”]

[INTERVIEWER NOTE 2: IF SOMEONE IS ASKING TO PARTICIPATE IN FRENCH/ENGLISH BUT NO GROUP IN THIS LANGUAGE IS AVAILABLE IN THIS AREA, TALK TO YOUR SUPERVISOR.]

As I was saying – we are planning a series of online discussion groups on behalf of the Government of Canada with people in your area. The research will focus on food security. The groups will last up to 90 minutes (one and a half hours) and people who take part will receive a cash gift to thank them for their time.

Participation is completely voluntary. We are interested in your opinions. No attempt will be made to sell you anything or change your point of view. The format is a group discussion held using an online web conferencing platform similar to Zoom, led by a research professional with about six to eight other participants invited the same way you are being invited. The use of a computer or a tablet (not a smartphone) in a quiet room is necessary for participation, as the moderator will be gauging reactions to concepts and materials. All opinions will remain anonymous and will be used for research purposes only in accordance with laws designed to protect your privacy.

[INTERVIEWER NOTE: IF ASKED ABOUT PRIVACY LAWS, SAY: “The information collected through the research is subject to the provisions of the Privacy Act, legislation of the Government of Canada, and to the provisions of relevant provincial privacy legislation.”]

1. Before we confirm the invitation, we need to ask you a few questions to ensure that we get a good mix of people in each of the groups. This will take 5 minutes. May I continue?

   Yes	1	CONTINUE
   No	2	THANK/DISCONTINUE

B. Qualification

2. Would you have any problems with the discussion of pigs, pork or any related products for any reason, whether that be on religious, dietary, moral or other grounds?

   Yes	1
   No	2

   IF YES, THANK/DISCONTINUE

1. 3a. Do you identify as indigenous or Metis? [record for analysis only]

   Yes	1	SKIP TO Q5
   No	2
   Not sure / rather not say	9

3. Do you identify as being a member of any of the following ethnic groups? [Accept multiple answers]

   Chinese	1
   Filipino	2
   Vietnamese	3
   Haitian	4
   German	5
   Italian	6
   Other ethnic group: Please specify_____	7
   None of the above	8

   IF ONE ETHNICITY AMONG OPTIONS 1 TO 6 IS SELECTED, CONSIDER FOR THE APROPRIATE ETHNIC GROUP

4. [Only ask if multiple answers are selected in Q3 among options 1 to 6] Is there a specific background that you identify with most strongly?

   Yes	1
   No	2

   IF YES, CONSIDER FOR GROUP WHICH BEST FITS ETHNICITY

   IF NO, CONSIDER FOR EITHER ETHNIC GROUP AS NEEDED

5. Do you currently live in… [READ LIST]

   A city or metropolitan area with a population of at least 100,000	1
   A city with a population of 20,000 to just under 100,000	2
   A city or town with a population of 10,000 to just under 20,000	3
   A town or rural area with a population of less than 10,000	4

   IF <20,000, CONSIDER FOR FOCUS GROUPS WITH RURAL CANADIANS / CANADIANS WHO OWN PIGS / CANADIANS WHO LIVE CLOSE TO PIG FARMS – AIM FOR HALF OF PARTICIPANTS IN THIS SEGMENT FROM RURAL AREA <10,000

   FOR GROUPS WITH CANADIANS WHO TRAVEL INTERNATIONALLY, RECRUIT A MIX

   FOR ETHNIC GROUPS, RECRUIT A MIX AS A BEST EFFORT

6. Do you own any pigs, including as a pet, farming, a hobby farm or other reasons?

   Yes	1
   No	2	SKIP TO Q9

7. Do you own any pigs for commercial farming purposes?

   Yes	1
   No	2

   IF NO AT Q7, PRIORITIZE FOR FOCUS GROUPS WITH RURAL CANADIANS / CANADIANS WHO OWN PIGS / CANADIANS WHO LIVE CLOSE TO PIG FARMS AND SKIP TO Q16

8. [IF YES IN Q7] Are you part of a pork board or pork association?

   Yes	1
   No	2

   IF YES AT Q8, DO NOT RECRUIT FOR FOCUS GROUPS WITH RURAL CANADIANS / CANADIANS WHO OWN PIGS / CANADIANS WHO LIVE CLOSE TO PIG FARMS – INSTEAD CONSIDER FOR OTHER GROUPS

   IF NO AT Q8, PRIORITIZE FOR FOCUS GROUPS WITH RURAL CANADIANS / CANADIANS WHO OWN PIGS / CANADIANS WHO LIVE CLOSE TO PIG FARMS AND SKIP TO Q16

9. [IF NO at Q6] Do you live within 20km of a pig farm, or anywhere that may have pigs on the property?

   Yes	1
   No	2

   IF YES, PRIORITIZE FOR FOCUS GROUPS WITH RURAL CANADIANS / CANADIANS WHO OWN PIGS / CANADIANS WHO LIVE CLOSE TO PIG FARMS AND SKIP TO Q16

10. Have you travelled outside of Canada in the past 18 months?

    Yes	1
    No	2	SKIP TO Q13

11. [IF Q10=YES] Where have you travelled within the past 18 months? [LIST ALL THAT APPLY]

    RECORD ____________

    IF ANY COUNTRY OTHER THAN THE UNITED STATES IS NAMED, CONSIDER FOR GROUPS WITH CANADIANS WHO TRAVEL INTERNATIONALLY (RECRUIT A MIX OF COUNTRIES) AND PROCEED TO Q16

12. [IF ONLY RESPONSE IN Q11=UNITED STATES] Did you travel to Hawaii or any US Territories, such as American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands?

    Yes	1
    No	2	CONTINUE

    IF YES, CONSIDER FOR GROUPS WITH CANADIANS WHO TRAVEL INTERNATIONALLY AND PROCEED TO Q16

13. Do you intend to travel internationally within the next 2 years?

    Yes	1
    No	2

    IF NO AT Q10 AND Q13, CONSIDER FOR ETHNIC GROUP IF QUALIFIED OR THANK/DISCONTINUE

    IF NO AT Q12 AND Q13, CONSIDER FOR ETHNIC GROUP IF QUALIFIED OR THANK/DISCONTINUE

14. Which country might you travel to? [LIST ALL THAT APPLY]

    RECORD ____________

    IF ANY COUNTRY OTHER THAN THE UNITED STATES IS NAMED, CONSIDER FOR GROUPS WITH CANADIANS WHO TRAVEL INTERNATIONALLY (RECRUIT A MIX OF COUNTRIES) AND PROCEED TO Q16

15. [IF ONLY RESPONSE IN Q14=United States] Do you intend to travel to Hawaii or any US Territories, such as American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands?

    Yes	1
    No	2

    IF YES, CONSIDER FOR GROUPS WITH CANADIANS WHO TRAVEL INTERNATIONALLY

    IF NO AT Q10 AND Q15, CONSIDER FOR ETHNIC GROUP IF QUALIFIED OR THANK/DISCONTINUE

    IF NO AT Q12 AND Q15, CONSIDER FOR ETHNIC GROUP IF QUALIFIED OR THANK/DISCONTINUE

    FOR GROUPS WITH CANADIANS WHO TRAVEL INTERNATIONALLY, RECRUIT A MIX OF THOSE WHO HAVE TRAVELLED WITHIN THE LAST 18 MONTHS AND THOSE WHO INTEND TO TRAVEL IN THE NEXT 2 YEARS

16. Are you an international student currently studying in Canada?

    Yes	1
    No	2

    RECRUIT ON A BEST EFFORT BASIC FOR ANY OF THE GROUPS

17. Do you or does anyone in your immediate family or household work in any of the following areas? [READ LIST]

    	Yes	No
    A marketing research firm	1	2
    A magazine or newspaper, online or print	1	2
    A radio or television station	1	2
    A public relations company	1	2
    An advertising agency or graphic design firm	1	2
    An online media company or as a blog writer	1	2
    The government, whether federal, provincial or municipal	1	2

    IF “YES” TO ANY OF THE ABOVE, THANK/DISCONTINUE

18. What is your gender identity? [If you do not feel comfortable disclosing, you do not need to do so] [DO NOT READ LIST]

    Male	1
    Female	2
    Transgender Male	3
    Transgender Female	4
    Non-Binary	5
    Prefer to self-describe, please specify: _____	6
    Prefer not to say	7

    AIM FOR 50/50 SPLIT OF MALE AND FEMALE, WHILE RECRUITING OTHER GENDER IDENTITIES AS THEY FALL

19. We are looking to include people of various ages in the group discussion. May I have your age please? RECORD AGE: ______________

    RECRUIT A MIX OF AGES

20. Have you ever attended a discussion group or taken part in an interview on any topic that was arranged in advance and for which you received money for participating?

    Yes	1
    No	2	GO TO Q24

21. When did you last attend one of these discussion groups or interviews?

    Within the last 6 months	1	THANK/TERMINATE
    Over 6 months ago	2

22. Thinking about the groups or interviews that you have taken part in, what were the main topics discussed?

    RECORD: _______________

    THANK/TERMINATE IF RELATED TO FOOD SAFETY/AFRICAN SWINE FEVER

23. How many discussion groups or interviews have you attended in the past 5 years?

    Fewer than 5	1
    Five or more	2	THANK & TERMINATE

24. Participants in group discussions are asked to voice their opinions and thoughts, how comfortable are you in voicing your opinions in an online group discussion? Are you… READ OPTIONS

    Very comfortable	1	MIN 5 PER GROUP
    Fairly comfortable	2
    Not very comfortable	3	THANK & TERMINATE
    Very uncomfortable	4	THANK & TERMINATE

25. Do you have access to a stable internet connection, capable of sustaining a 90-minute online video conference?

    Yes	1
    No	2	THANK & TERMINATE

26. Participants will be asked to provide their answers through an online web conferencing platform using a computer or a tablet (not a smartphone) in a quiet room. It is necessary for participation, as the moderator might be gauging reactions to advertising concepts and materials. Is there any reason why you could not participate? (No access to computer or tablet, internet, etc.) If you need glasses to read or a device for hearing, please remember to wear them.

    Yes	1
    No	2	SKIP TO INVITATION

27. Is there anything we could do to ensure that you can participate?

    Yes	1	ASK Q29
    No	2	THANK AND TERMINATE
    DK/NR	9	THANK AND TERMINATE

28. What specifically? [OPEN END]

    INTERVIEWER TO NOTE FOR POTENTIAL ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEW

    RECRUITER NOTE: WHEN TERMINATING AN INTERVIEW, SAY: “Thank you very much for your cooperation. We are unable to invite you to participate because we have enough participants who have a similar profile to yours.”

C. INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE

29. I would like to invite you to participate in an online focus group session where you will exchange your opinions in a moderated discussion with other individuals in your region. The discussion will be led by a researcher from the national public opinion research firm, Quorus Consulting. The session will be recorded but your participation will be confidential. The group will be hosted using an online web conferencing platform, taking place on [DAY OF WEEK], [DATE], at [TIME]. It will last 90 minutes (one and a half hours). People who attend will receive $125 to thank them for their time.

    Would you be interested in taking part in this study?

    Yes	1
    No	2	THANK & TERMINATE

30. The discussion group will be video-recorded. These recordings are used to help with analyzing the findings and writing the report. The results from the discussions will be grouped together in the research report, which means that individuals will not be identified in anyway. Is this acceptable?

    Yes	1
    No	2	THANK & TERMINATE

31. Individuals from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and/or the Government of Canada involved in this research project may be observing the session. They will not take part in the discussion, and they will not know your full name. Is this acceptable?

    Yes	1
    No	2	THANK & TERMINATE

32. The recordings may also be used by the CFIA client team solely for presenting research findings internally however you would not be identified by name and nobody from the client team would contact you as a result of any feedback you provide. Is this acceptable?

    Yes	1
    No	2	THANK & TERMINATE

33. Thank you. Just to make sure, the group will take place on [DAY OF WEEK], [DATE], at [TIME] and it will last 90 minutes (one and a half hours). Following your participation, you will receive $125 to thank you for your time. Are you interested and available to attend?

    Yes	1
    No	2	THANK & TERMINATE

To conduct the session, we will be using a screen-sharing application called [PLATFORM]. We will need to send you by email the instructions to connect. The use of a computer or tablet (not a smartphone) in a quiet room is necessary since the moderator will want to show material to participants to get their reactions – that will be an important part of the discussion.

We recommend that you click on the link we will send you a few days prior to your session to make sure you can access the online meeting that has been setup and repeat these steps at least 10 to 15 minutes prior to your session.

As we are only inviting a small number of people to attend, your participation is very important to us. If for some reason you are unable to attend, you cannot send someone to participate on your behalf - please call us so that we can get someone to replace you. You can reach us at [INSERT NUMBER] at our office. Please ask for [INSERT NAME].

So that we can contact you to remind you about the focus group or in case there are any changes, can you please confirm your name and contact information for me? [READ INFO AND CHANGE AS NECESSARY.]

First name ________________________________________________

Last Name ________________________________________________

Email ____________________________________________________

Day time phone number _____________________________________

Night time phone number ____________________________________

Thank you!

If the respondent refuses to give his/her first or last name or phone number please assure them that this information will be kept strictly confidential in accordance with the privacy law and that it is used strictly to contact them to confirm their attendance and to inform them of any changes to the focus group. If they still refuse THANK & TERMINATE.

[Section 1: Screening]

1. In what year were you born?

   [INSERT YEAR. IF YOUNGER THAN 18 YEARS OR PREFER NOT TO SAY, TERMINATE]

   GENDER: Please indicate the gender you identify with?

   Male	1
   Female	2
   Other (please specify): _____________	77
   Don’t know/Prefer not to say	99

2. Which province or territory do you live in?

   Newfoundland and Labrador	1
   Nova Scotia	2
   Prince Edward Island	3
   New Brunswick	4
   Quebec	5
   Ontario	6
   Manitoba	7
   Saskatchewan	8
   Alberta	9
   British Columbia	10
   Yukon	11
   Nunavut	12
   Northwest Territories	13
   Don’t know/Prefer not to say	99

3. Do you identify as being a member of any of the following ethnic groups? SELECT ALL THAT APPLY

   Chinese	1
   Filipino	2
   Vietnamese	3
   Haitian	4
   German	5
   Italian	6
   Other ethnic group: Please specify_____	77
   None of the above	99

4. Which of the following best describes where you live?

   A city or metropolitan area with a population of at least 100,000	1
   A city with a population of 20,000 to just under 100,000	2
   A city or town with a population of 10,000 to just under 20,000	3
   A town or rural area with a population of less than 10,000	4

   TAG AS “RURAL CANADIAN” IF Q4= 3 OR 4

5. Do you own any pigs, including as a pet, farming, a hobby farm, or other reasons?

   Yes	1
   No	2

   TAG AS “CANADIANS WHO OWN PIGS” IF Q5=1

6. [IF YES IN Q5] Do you own any pigs for commercial farming purposes?

   Yes	1
   No	2

7. [IF NO in Q5] Do you live within 20 km of a pig farm, or anywhere that may have pigs on the property?

   Yes	1
   No	2

   TAG AS “CANADIANS WHO LIVE NEAR PIGS” IF Q7=1

8. Have you travelled outside of Canada in the past 18 months?

   Yes	1
   No	2	SKIP TO Q11

9. Where have you travelled within the past 18 months? Please enter the countries where you spent at least one overnight stay.

   United States	1
   Other – please specify: ________________________	77

10. [ASK IF Q9=UNITED STATES] Did you travel to Hawaii or any US Territories, such as American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands?

    Yes	1
    No	2

    TAG AS “CANADIANS WHO TRAVEL” IF:

    • ANY COUNTRY OTHER THAN THE U.S. IS IDENTIFIED IN Q9

    • Q10=YES

11. As far as you know, do you intend to travel internationally within the next 2 years?

    Yes	1
    No	2	SKIP TO Q14

12. Which country might you travel to?

    United States	1
    Other – please specify: ________________________	77

13. [ASK IF Q12=United States] Do you intend to travel to Hawaii or any US Territories, such as American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands?

    Yes	1
    No	2

    TAG AS “CANADIANS WHO TRAVEL” IF:

    • ANY COUNTRY OTHER THAN THE U.S. IS IDENTIFIED IN Q12

    • Q13=YES

14. Are you an international student currently studying in Canada?

    Yes	1
    No	2

15. Which of the following applies to your household: SELECT ALL THAT APPLY

    Over the past 12 months, someone in your household has received international mail that contained food products	1
    Over the next 12 months, someone in your household will likely receive international mail that contains food products	2
    Over the past 12 months, you have received family or friends from outside Canada	3
    Over the next 12 months, you will likely receive family or friends from outside Canada	4
    None of the above	9

[Section 2: African swine fever]

16. Which of the following diseases have you heard of before this survey? SELECT ALL THAT APPLY. [RANDOMIZE]

    African swine fever (ASF)	1
    Swine flu (H1N1)	2
    Mad cow disease or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)	3
    Avian influenza (Bird Flu)	4
    Chronic wasting disease (CWD)	5
    None of the above	9

17. Which of these diseases is of most concern to you?

    [BRING FORWARD ITEMS SELECTED FROM Q16]

18. [ASK IF Q16=1] How familiar would you say you are with African swine fever?

    Very familiar	1
    Somewhat familiar	2
    Not very familiar	3
    Not at all familiar	4

19. [ASK IF Q18=1, 2 or 3] Where have you seen, read or heard anything related to African swine fever? SELECT ALL THAT APPLY

    Media / in the news	1
    Social media	2
    Friends or family member	3
    When traveling / at airports	4
    Other – please specify: ___________	77
    Can’t remember / don’t know	99

20. Which of the following best reflects your views on African swine fever (ASF)?

    ASF has not been found in Canada and there is nothing to worry about	1
    ASF has not been found in Canada but we should still take as many precautions as possible
    ASF has been found in Canada but there is nothing to worry about	3
    ASF has been found in Canada and we should take as many precautions as possible	4

21. Various behaviours can introduce African swine fever (ASF) into Canada and then spread it. Among the following, which ones were you aware of? SELECT ALL THAT APPLY.

    [RANDOMIZE]

    Visiting a pig farm or a property where pigs are found in Canada soon after having visited a pig farm or a property where pigs are found while traveling outside Canada (including, zoos, animal sanctuaries, and hunting where wild pigs are found)	1
    Bringing back pork products from a trip outside Canada	2
    Receiving pork products in the mail from friends or family members located outside Canada.	3
    Feeding food scraps and waste to pigs	4
    Other activities I have heard can introduce ASF (please specify):	77
    None of the above	99

22. In your opinion, what kind of risk would any of the following behaviours pose in terms of introducing or spreading ASF in Canada?

    [RANDOMIZE]

    1. Visiting a pig farm or a property where pigs are found in Canada soon after having visited a pig farm or a property where pigs are found while traveling outside Canada (including, zoos, animal sanctuaries, and hunting where wild pigs are found)

    2. Bringing back pork products from a trip outside Canada and not declaring them at customs.

    3. Receiving pork products in the mail from friends or family members located outside Canada.

    4. Feeding food scraps and waste to pigs

    Little to no risk						Significant risk	Don’t Know/Prefer not to say
    1	2	3	4	5	6	7	9

23. If African swine fever were to appear in Canada, how concerned are you that this could affect you?

    Not at all concerned						Very concerned	Don’t Know/Prefer not to say
    1	2	3	4	5	6	7	9

24. If African swine fever were to appear in Canada, how concerned are you that African swine fever could affect the Canadian pork industry?

    Not at all concerned						Very concerned	Don’t Know/Prefer not to say
    1	2	3	4	5	6	7	9

25. If African swine fever were to appear in Canada, how significant an impact do you suspect it might have on the Canadian pork industry?

    No impact all						Significant impact	Don’t Know/Prefer not to say
    1	2	3	4	5	6	7	9

26. If African swine fever were to appear in Canada, how concerned are you that African swine fever could affect the Canadian economy?

    Not at all concerned						Very concerned	Don’t Know/Prefer not to say
    1	2	3	4	5	6	7	9

27. If African swine fever were to appear in Canada, how significant an impact do you suspect it might have on the Canadian economy?

    No impact all						Significant impact	Don’t Know/Prefer not to say
    1	2	3	4	5	6	7	9

28. If African swine fever were to appear in Canada, how concerned would you be about any danger you feel it could pose to food safety?

    Not at all concerned						Very concerned	Don’t Know/Prefer not to say
    1	2	3	4	5	6	7	9

29. How interested are you in finding out more about African swine fever and how it affects Canadians?

    Not interested						Very interested	Don’t Know/Prefer not to say
    1	2	3	4	5	6	7	9

30. [ASK IF Q29 >= 4] Where would you be most likely to search for information about African swine fever? SELECT ALL THAT APPLY

    [ASK IF Q29 < 4] Even if you are not overly interested at the moment, where would you be most likely to search for information about African swine fever if you became interested? SELECT ALL THAT APPLY

    [RANDOMIZE ITEMS 1 TO 9]

    Government of Canada	1
    Pork Industry Associations	2
    Provincial Governments	3
    Veterinarian	4
    News outlet or magazine publication (including online formats)	5
    Social media (e.g., YouTube, Facebook groups, etc.)	6
    Online forums	7
    Academic articles, journals, and university publications	8
    General search online (e.g. Google)	9
    Other (please specify): ___________	77
    Don’t know/Prefer not to say	99

31. [ASK IF Q29 >= 4] How would you like to get information about African swine fever from the Government of Canada? SELECT ALL THAT APPLY

    [ASK IF Q29 < 4] Even if you are not overly interested at the moment, how would you like to get information about African swine fever from the Government of Canada if you became interested? SELECT ALL THAT APPLY

    Website	1
    Social media	2
    Email	3
    Telephone information line	4
    Television	5
    Other (please specify): ____________	77
    Don’t know/Prefer not to say	99

32. Please rank the following in order of who you think has the most responsibility for ensuring that African swine fever is properly monitored and controlled in Canada. Please rank the options from 1 to 8, with 1 having the most responsibility and 8 having the least responsibility. [RANDOMIZE]

    RESPONSIBILITY	RANK
    a. Small pig farmers and hobby farm operators
    b. The Government of Canada
    c. Provincial governments
    d. Food manufacturers or processors (i.e. companies that make or process food)
    e. Large commercial pig producers
    f. Businesses that import foods into Canada
    g. Consumers
    h. Canadian associations and groups that represent the Canadian pork industry

    Don’t know/Prefer not to say

    99

[Section 3: Demographics]

The last few questions are strictly for statistical purposes. All of your answers are completely confidential.

33. Which of the following best describes your current employment status?

    Working full-time, that is, 35 or more hours per week	1
    Working part-time, that is, less than 35 hours per week	2
    Self-employed	3
    Unemployed, but looking for work	4
    A student attending school full-time	5
    Retired	6
    Not in the workforce (full-time homemaker, unemployed, not looking for work)	7
    Don’t know/Prefer not to say	9

34. What is the highest level of education that you have completed?

    Some high school	1
    High school diploma or equivalent	2
    Registered apprenticeship or other trades certificate or diploma	3
    College, CEGEP or other non-university certificate or diploma	4
    University certificate or diploma below bachelor’s level	5
    Bachelor’s degree	6
    Postgraduate degree above bachelor’s level	7
    Don’t know/Prefer not to say	9

35. Are you an Indigenous person, that is, First Nations, Métis or Inuk (Inuit)?

    Yes	1
    No	2
    Don’t know/Prefer not to answer	9

36. What is your marital status?

    Single	1
    Married/living with someone/common law	2
    Separated/divorced	3
    Widowed	4
    Other, please specify _________________	77
    Don’t know/Prefer not to say	99

37. How many individuals, including yourself, currently live in your household?

    [NUMERICAL OPEN-END]
    Don’t know/Prefer not to say	99

38. Are you a parent or guardian of a child under the age of 18?

    Yes	1
    No	2
    Don’t know/Prefer not to say	9

39. Which of the following categories best describes your total household income for 2022? That is, the total income of all persons in your household combined, before taxes.

    Under $20,000	1
    $20,000 to just under $40,000	2
    $40,000 to just under $60,000	3
    $60,000 to just under $80,000	4
    $80,000 to just under $100,000	5
    $100,000 to just under $150,000	6
    $150,000 and above	7
    Don’t know/Prefer not to say	9

40. What are the first three digits of your postal code?

    [INSERT FIRST THREE DIGITS OF POSTAL CODE. FORMAT A1A] Don’t know/Prefer not to say	999
    [CODE RURAL VS URBAN]

[Section 4: Focus Group Invitation]

[ASK FOCUS GROUP INVITATION TO THE FOLLOWING:

• ETHNIC COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST (IF Q3=1 TO 6)

• RURAL CANADIANS

• CANADIANS WHO OWN PIGS

• CANADIANS WHO LIVE NEAR PIGS

• CANADIANS WHO TRAVEL

• INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS (Q14=1)

IF NONE OF THE ABOVE, SKIP TO SECTION 5]

Thank you very much for all your feedback.

This research is being contracted by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). The purpose of the research is to capture Canadians’ awareness and perceptions of African swine fever so that Agency communications on this topic can remain effective in addressing areas of concern or misunderstanding.

The CFIA is interested in obtaining opinions on a broader range of issues related to African swine fever.

Would you be interested in being invited to participate in a focus group discussion? The format is an online “round table” discussion lead by a research professional using a platform such as Zoom. About 6 to 8 other individuals will be taking part. The session will last about 90 minutes and, for their time, participants will receive an honorarium of $125.00. No attempt will be made to sell you anything or change your point of view.

Just like this survey, all opinions expressed during the session will remain anonymous and views will be grouped together to ensure no particular individual can be identified.

Are you interested in participating? If so, please provide your first name, your email and a telephone number where we can reach you. Over the next few weeks, someone from our focus group recruitment team will call you to confirm your interest, eligibility and availability for a focus group. Your email address would only be used afterwards to send you the invitation logistics and any friendly reminders.

YES COLLECT CONTACT INFO

NO THANK AND END INTERVIEW

First Name: _____________________

E-mail: _____________________

Telephone: _____________________

[Section 5: Conclusion]

This concludes the survey. Your answers have been submitted. Thank you for your participation!

The survey results will be posted on Library and Archives Canada.

For more information on African swine fever please visit the Canadian Food Inspection Agency website. (Inspection.gc.ca)