The push to buy local in the wake of U.S. tariffs is impacting people’s overall views of local grocers.
That’s according to a recent study out of Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University.
The study of nearly 3,000 Canadians indicates that while people are feeling anxious about food affordability, trade tensions with the United States are playing a factor.
Director Sylvain Charlebois says the biggest factor that came up in the most recent round of surveys is the buy local campaigns that have been established over the last few months, noting that they are really influencing people’s choices.
(Sylvain Charlebois)
He says people are “looking for that maple leaf” and are trying to avoid products from the United States.
Charlebois says over the last few years people became more critical of grocers, and last fall consumer trust was “very low” toward the food industry in general.
However, “things have picked up” especially for independent, Canadian grocers. Charlebois says those businesses have benefitted the most from the buy local movement.
