Farmers markets have been growing in popularity in a remarkable across Canada over the last 10 years. Is this a food fad? Or is this a permanent way of consumption?
John F. T. Scott is an economist with a keen interest in the food industry. He says there are three aspects of food that are critical: What’s in the food, where the food is from, and who made or grew it. People want to know where their food is coming from, how it was grown, what was added to it and who made it, and farmers markets meet all those needs for consumers.
“People have decided that they need to be concerned about what goes in their bodies,” Scott says. “It defines who they are. What we’re eating is important.”
A Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) report from 2013 confirms that food made or processed in Canada is what Canadians are looking for. “A majority of Canadians now make an effort to buy local or Canadian made products and some are willing to pay a premium.”
In addition, it notes that an increased interest in health has given consumers incentive to shop for more fresh produce, which in turn benefits farmers.
According to the BDC report; 97 per cent of shoppers buy local products to support the economy, 96 per cent shop this way to support local farmers, and 93 per cent believe that if they contribute to the economy in this way, it will create jobs locally.
“The whole idea of farmers markets is much more appealing and more mainstream than it was a decade ago because there has been much more emphasis on eating locally and understanding where your food comes from,” adds Dana McCauley, Executive Director at Foodstarter.
Scott says that while grocery stores are latching on to the buy local movement, farmers markets will always have the upper hand because they offer the face to face interaction with the people who produce the food consumers are purchasing.
On the flip side, McCauley has found that farmers and small businesses understand the value face to face interaction with customers for market research purposes, making this retail channel beneficial for both shoppers and producers.
The current economic situation in Canada plays a role in farmers market success; McCauley says that when the Canadian dollar is low, consumers want to shop locally.
“Depending on how the economy goes it could squelch the trend,” McCauley adds. “I’m also seeing some consumer fatigue with farmers markets,” she adds. McCauley has heard from a number of consumers that it can be discouraging to see out of season produce at a market, as it leads them to believe they aren’t getting a truly local product. In addition, shoppers who once thought buying from local farmer’ markets would be cheaper are learning that this isn’t always the case. In fact in many cases, it can be a bit pricier to have access to locally farmed food.
That said, McCauley and Scott both agree that farmers markets are here to stay.
“For the next few years, certainly the next five, you’ll see more (farmers market)]. I think they’ve really got something there,” Scott says.
- Courtney Dickson