Grassroots Public Affairs has just released its third annual national Agri-Food public opinion poll. The poll measured attitudes, direction, and intensity of public opinion on a range of issues and policies affecting the domestic Agri-Food sector.
This year, there were several new questions polled, which included awareness regarding The Canada Food Guide, consumers and food labelling, and food allergies/sensitivities of Canadians.
Some of the key findings include:
- 91% of Canadians are ‘very’ or ‘somewhat’ confident in the food grown or produced domestically.
- 90% of Canadians are aware of the Canada Food Guide and its recommendations on healthy eating.
- 59% of Canadians are not interested in trying ‘lab grown meant’ if deemed safe to eat by the federal government.
- 47% of Canadians frequently check the labelling of a food item to inspect the ingredients or nutritional information.
- 43% of Canadians believe that agriculture and agri-food is of ‘very large importance’ to Canada’s economic landscape.
- 24% of Canadians have a food allergy or food sensitivity.
According to the study, Canadians hold very positive opinions of agriculture and agri-food, however, the intensity of these opinions has decreased in the past year. Canadians also see agriculture as having a positive impact on the environment and believe the federal government should place the greatest level of prioritization of financial support for fruit and vegetable commodities.
The survey was conducted via an online panel of 1001 Canadians over the age of 18. To see more survey results, click here.