Sure, the Hellmann’s brand of mayonnaise boasts a down-to-earth history featuring an immigrant to early 20th century New York using his wife’s family recipe in his German delicatessen. And sure, since that time the brand generally has remained true to that original recipe – in the face of competition from cheaper, non-egg competitors.
But it’s also, ever since a corporate takeover in the 1990s, just one brand owned by a massive, $40-billion, multi-national company (Unilever) headquartered in England and the Netherlands. Hellmann’s can be purchased in Canada, the US, Central and South America.
So, when the Canadian division creates a website asking the question “How much of your food is actually local?” and urges visitors to “take action now,” it’s setting itself up to scrutiny.
According to a June 22 news release, “the brand is encouraging consumers to take action in the form of pledges (at) EatRealEatLocal.ca . . . or social media posts – blogs, Twitter, Facebook. For every action taken, Hellmann’s will donate 25 cents to the non-profit organization Evergreen.”
I eat Hellmann’s because it’s real mayonnaise. Egg production is supply-managed in Canada, meaning imports are restricted. So the major ingredients (including the canola oil, I found out once I visited the website) are Canadian. Until now, my biggest complaint was the switch from glass jars to plastic (which I feel compelled to throw in the recycling bin rather than re-use).
But I figured, with the company now owned by a corporate behemoth, how hard could it be to spot the incongruencies in the subsidiary’s local food marketing campaign? After all, while the parent company won praise for its “Real Beauty” approach for Dove soap, that was off-set by charges that its  suggestive Axe deodorant ads are sexist.
The EatRealEatLocal website, however, is impressive ... for those who have high-speed internet. It includes a Canadian map from which you can link to each province, and find out which foods are in season and how to cook them. There is a comprehensive list, complete with contact information, of direct-to-consumer outlets like farmers’ markets, community shared agriculture operations, and farm gate vendors.
Perhaps as a counter to anyone suggesting Hellmann’s is looking solely for a marketing boost, an introductory video offers commanding evidence why local food should be supported.
“We may think of ourselves as being totally self-sufficient. Well, think again,” the expertly-animated and skillfully-voiced video begins. “Ontario, with some of Canada’s best farmland, imports more than $4 billion worth of produce more than it exports. And we don’t just bring in exotic fruit or things we can’t grow here. We’re talking about cucumbers and tomatoes. For every apple we export, we import about five. For pears, it’s one out and about 700 in.”
It’s thought-provoking marketing, but it’s not something you couldn’t find anywhere else. Across the country, there are hundreds of online resources offering tips on where to purchase local food, and convincing arguments why we should. For this part of southwestern Ontario, just of few of them are www.localeating.ca,   www.eatlocaloxford.com, and   www.foodlink.ca.
What’s different about the Hellmann’s campaign is that no farmers had to expend time or energy getting their contact information onto the website. No money had to be raised through appeals to municipal governments or membership fees. Unilever approved the marketing money, brainstorming sessions were held, and employees got busy making it happen.
It’s an example of how a corporate sensibility can sometimes take an idea to another level.
But it’s also incontrovertible proof that “local” has gone mainstream.
The EatRealEatLocal.ca video highlights Canadian products. A well-known pioneer in Ontario’s local food movement, the Local Food Plus organization, defines “local” as grown in Ontario. Visit St. Marys Farmers’ Market on a Saturday morning, and you’ll most likely find out that “local” is somewhere within 50 km from home.
This week, Canada’s organic farming community marks a milestone, as the federal government assumes jurisdiction over a nationally-standardized set of rules defining “organic.” There’s still a lot of work to do in helping consumers understand that the new “Canada Organic” label doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a product of Canada – just that it was produced in keeping with Canada’s organic standard. And, because it’s not yet ratified province-by-province, direct farmer-to-consumer sales won’t necessarily comply.
But a few years ago, “organic” was where “local” is now: entering the mainstream. It was moving from consumers who are committed to researching the origins of their food into consumers who have heard it’s a good way to eat. And, among the pioneers of the movement, questions began to arise about whether or not all that food was actually “organic.”
At some point, “local” will have to follow a similar route as “organic,” or its value as a marketing description will disappear.