The information acquired at these all-industry stakeholder meetings plays an essential role in CFO's determination of how much chicken will be grown in Ontario. Being responsible for volume determination is the cornerstone of supply management. CFO administers a quota system to ensure that Ontario's chicken farmers produce the proper volume. Supply management balances supply with demand and prevents overproduction, flooded markets and depressed prices for farmers. CFO's authority to regulate the amount of chicken grown and negotiate the price is derived from provincial legislation called the Farm Products Marketing Act.
Similar legislation exists in all ten provinces.