Canadians are keen to see improvements to the country’s food infrastructure, and their key focuses are on transparency, affordability, and sustainability.
That’s according to new research from the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity’s (CCFI’s) 2021 Public Trust Research Report, which shows that the proportion of Canadians who felt Canada’s food system is headed in the right direction has declined after a considerable improvement in 2020.
Most respondents who no longer fitted the “right direction” option went straight to the “don’t know” category. These results show consumers are overwhelmed with information and do not know which way to turn.
“Respondents do not feel they can confidently say the food system is moving in the right or wrong direction because they simply don’t know what information to trust,” explained John Jamieson, president and CEO, CCFI. “The information doesn’t appear transparent due to the vast amount of conflicting misinformation.”
In addition, for the first time, global warming and environmental issues have made the top five list of concerns for Canadians. This shows how environmental concerns are influencing consumers’ everyday lives, as well as demonstrating the importance of a sustainable food system to Canadians.
RELATED: Confidence in Canada’s food system at an all-time high says CCFI research
The research reveals the global pandemic has not affected trust levels among Canadians. Respondents indicated they do not feel it was more difficult to access food during the pandemic, with some even saying it was easier. There was minimal mention of empty grocery store shelves with respondents indicating this was only for “hot-ticket items”.
Canadians are concerned about the “big picture” of food and themes such as profit-driven markets, sustainability, and affordability need to be addressed in communication efforts moving forward.
