Canadian consumers food priority is for locally grown

Shoppers at farmer’s markets say their priority is locally grown for its freshness

There has been a growing interest in organic foods, but a new study shows Canadians are shopping at local farmer’s markets seeking locally grown foods as a first priority over “organic” labels.

Professor Rachel Dodds (PhD) supervised a group of students looking into the motivations for consumer choices at farmer’s markets.

She is professor in the Ted Rogers School of Management and Director of the Research Institute of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Ryerson University in Toronto.

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The research was carried out by fourth-year students Jenny Mach, Minjee Park, Deric Thai and Sally Yu. Their report, “Determining the Consumer Motivations for Shopping at Farmer’s Markets in Ontario”, will be submitted to a scientific journal this month.

Farmer’s markets have been around since immigrants first began to settle in the new colony and for some 200 years in what is now the province of Ontario.

In recent times however local farmer’s markets are experiencing an upswing in popularity.

The researchers spoke to some 350 shoppers at two different farmer’s markets in Toronto to ask why they shopped there.  The two markets, St Lawrence market, the oldest continuous farmer’s market in the city and which tends to attract an older clientele and tourists, and Liberty Village a much newer market in a recently gentrified district which attracts a younger clientele in the area.

Fresher food, over organic

What they found was that consumers generally felt that the fruits and vegetables in the farmer’s markets were fresher, and looked better than in supermarkets.

While organic was an important motivation to a substantial percentage of shoppers, a greater number said that fresher food was their primary concern and the reason they shopped at farmer’s markets.

Most also indicated they were also concerned with supporting the local economy by buying fruits and vegetables there, rather than products from distant, especially foreign sources.

People also indicated their perception that the food was healthier from local farms and that it tasted better.

Professor Dodds notes that in 2013 Canada’s Business Development Bank conducted a study which also indicated that 97% of Canadians said they tried to support the economy by purchasing locally produced products, and that 87% said buying local was better for the environment.

She said the strong motivation to buy locally is possibly due to the wide number of environmental groups touting the local food movement.

While there may also be some confusion over what constitutes “organic” standards in some consumers minds, in fact the use of the term “organic” is governed by federal legislation – Organic Products Regulations, 2009 (SOR/2009-176)

In addition, only a portion of the produce at the markets is produced and marketed as  “organic”.  Still, professor Dodds says, “Organic and local is probably the best answer because you get the best of both worlds —- produce that is grown without harmful pesticides from a farm a few kilometers away”.