Researchers uncover ‘ local-food paradox’
We say we want it, but we don’t buy it
Contradictions cloud our relationship with local food, a new report from Dalhousie University’s AgriFood Analytics Lab ( AAL) suggests.
While four in five Canadians say they’re ready to pay more for “locally grown” fruit and vegetables, few put weight on point of origin in their decision-making.
“We talk a good talk, but what goes on in grocery stores is very different,” says Sylvain Charlebois, professor of food distribution and policy, and senior director of the AAL.
Their survey of 10,266 Canadians in early October showed that while 79.5 per cent are open to paying more for locally grown produce, only one in four (25 per cent) actively seek it out while grocery shopping. The researchers describe this discrepancy between attitude and behaviour as “the local- food paradox.”
“When a lot of people buy food at the grocery store, they’re not looking for where the food was grown. They’re looking for what food is cheapest,” says AAL research associate Shannon Faires. “People may value local food more, and think it’s worth more money, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re looking for it.”
Faires was surprised by just how much of a premium Canadians said they are willing to pay for local food. Overall, 34.4 per cent of survey respondents said they would pay between 10 and 20 per cent more; 7 per cent between 20 and 40 per cent; and 1.9 per cent greater than 40 per cent.
Nearly half (47.8 per cent) of respondents, though, still cited price as the most important deciding factor when buying fresh produce. Of the 10.8 per cent of Canadians who buy most of their fruit and vegetables at farmers’ markets, price, and whether the food is “natural and organic” are more important than source.
Due to a short growing season, Canada imports roughly 65 per cent of its fresh fruit and vegetables — primarily from the U. S. and Mexico. Border closures due to COVID-19, California wildfires and retail shortages have prompted many to consider vulnerabilities in supply chains.
The pandemic has put a spotlight on food autonomy, the researchers say, spurring governments to investigate ways of increasing local production.
“Especially when the borders were originally closed, I think that was a bit of a wake- up call in terms of how reliant we are on outside sources for our food,” says Faires, adding that as the pandemic continues, she anticipates food autonomy will only become a greater issue.
Whereas food sovereignty is a movement which seeks to ensure access to healthy and culturally appropriate food as a human right, food autonomy is about production, economics and economies of scale, Charlebois explains.
“If you want to sell your carrot at a competitive price, you want to build economies of scale all year round, 12 months a year,” he says. “You need to use the proper technologies, you need to invest. You need to become efficient and competitive. That’s what food autonomy is.”
As provinces invest in various buy-local campaigns, the study revealed a discrepancy in definition: “Local” means different things to different people. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency defines it as “food produced in the province or territory in which it is sold, or food sold across provincial borders within 50 kilometres of the originating province or territory.”
British Columbians, Ontarians and Quebecers think of regional foods as local, the study showed. Consumers in the Atlantic and Prairie Provinces take a broader view, considering all food grown within the province to be local.
“Many policy- makers believe you can promote the hell out of local foods and people will buy them. Not necessarily,” says Charlebois.
“People are willing, but aren’t looking. So how do you get people to look?
“The response from different provinces, including Ontario with Foodland Ontario, is to promote local foods. And there’s nothing wrong with that but I don’t think that any of these campaigns are translating into more sales for locally grown produce.”
Over half of respondents ( 51.6 per cent) said they would pay a premium for off- season fresh produce grown locally using controlled-environment agriculture ( CEA), such as greenhouses and vertical farming, when given the choice between local or imports.
“There’s a very limited growing season in general for a lot of different crops. So if we want to be able to stop relying on imported food, we need to be able to grow all the things that Canadians eat out of season. We need to be able to grow the things that we can’t grow here using conventional methods. CEA gives us that,” says Faires.
The varying definitions of local across the country could have implications when it comes to the economic viability of these agricultural alternatives, she adds. If greenhouses, for example, were to end up concentrated in Ontario or Quebec, “Canadian- grown” in general might be a tougher sell than “locally grown” elsewhere in the country.
Momentum is building for CEA in Canada, Charlebois says, but the main challenge is that agri-food projects are capital- intensive. The additional cost associated with establishing and operating greenhouses and vertical farming could lead to higher prices for consumers. And as the results of the study suggest, in order for people to make buying local a priority, prices must be competitive with imports.
“It’s important to remain focused and grow more, and become less vulnerable towards our currency and climate change in California, and all these things. But at the same time, we also need to be realistic. Not everyone can afford to buy local all the time,” says Charlebois.
Faires adds: “The issue is price. It doesn’t matter how much more people value Canadian food.
“You have to be loyal to your wallet first.
“Just because you value Canadian food, doesn’t mean that the rest of your life doesn’t exist. You still have rent. You still have mortgages. You still have car payments. You still need to put food on the table.”