"We believe we can make a difference to our environment."

Bill Thomas

Our belief, as a company, is that a healthy environment translates into healthier food products. We also believe that air, soil and water quality are the responsibility of everyone. Based on these beliefs and in light of many questions today surrounding the safety of our food, we also believe that the use and marketing of responsible production practices is becoming increasingly important. Today’s consumer is searching and creating demand for food products that not only have quality and taste, but also instill confidence and trust.

As growers and processors, we are taking the opportunity to add value to our product through the use of sound stewardship practices. Delivering on environmental stewardship in our production and processing is the first step on the path toward sustainability and in cultivating trust with our consumers.

Sustainable Production and Processing

We feel there are better and more environmentally responsible approaches to producing and processing vegetables and we are using the Utopia brand and vision to lead the way.

Utopia is a brand of tomatoes that is changing the classical way we look at production in agriculture. No longer is maximizing productivity and yields our major goal. The Utopia brand is built on sustainable production and management principles - ones that meet the needs of the current population without compromising the needs of future generations. Using only what is needed to produce and process a crop, while at the same time conserving soils, promoting biodiversity, protecting our water resources and reducing our reliance on crop protection products, is the focus of Utopia sustainably produced tomatoes.

In Partnership with Our Growers

To deliver on this vision, we have built a relationship with the growers who produce the tomatoes found in Utopia products. These select individuals share in the Utopia vision and have taken extra effort to meet the objectives of our sustainable tomato production program. Together in partnership with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Thomas Canning has developed a review process that assesses each grower’s production practices and compares them to what is currently considered the Best Management Practices for production. This process promotes responsible use of agricultural resources and provides a tracking system of each grower’s production practices, with the goal of continual improvement toward the most sustainable production system possible.

Information to Make Informed Choices

We believe that providing information on how our products are produced and processed will allow consumers to make an educated choice on whether or not to add the Utopia brand to their family’s diet. Our tracking of information provides a benchmark not only for the consumer, but also for our own efforts in sustainability.

A Plan for the Future

As such, Utopia is more than a brand. It is a vision. It is not a place in the future, but a plan for the future. We believe our approach and path toward sustainable production and processing will make a difference for our environment and create an opportunity for growth in terms of not only our business and the success of our partners, but growth in our vision of how food can be produced to benefit all involved from producer to consumer.