Young Canadians are willing to pay more for organic food
A new survey by Research Co. found that young Canadians aged 18 to 34 are more likely to be willing to pay more for organic or genetically modified organism (GMO)-free foods.
Of the 1,000 people involved in the survey, 41% said they would not pay a higher price for organic food. The proportion increases to 57% among those aged 55 and over, but decreases to 41% among those aged 35 to 54. Only about a quarter (23%) of young Canadians aged 18 to 34 said they would not pay more for organic food, according to the survey.
The survey found similar results for non-GMO foods, with 31% of people expressing unwillingness to pay a premium for non-GMO foods. The proportion is higher (38%) among those aged 55 and over and similar (31%) among those aged 35 to 54 and lower (22%) among those aged 18 to 34.
According to Research Co, more than a third of Canadians would not be willing to pay extra for food from a company that guarantees reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Similarly, just under half of those aged 55 and over (45%) said they would not consider paying a premium compared to those aged 35-54 (38%) and 18-34 (23%). ).
“More than two in five residents of Saskatchewan and Manitoba (42%), Atlantic Canada (41%) and Alberta (41%) would not be influenced by food producers guaranteeing greenhouse gas emissions. lower greenhouse than their competitors,” Research Co. President Mario Canseco said in a May 17 press release. “The proportions are lower in British Columbia (37%), Ontario (35%) and Quebec (28%).
When asked about climate change, 79% of Canadians agreed it was a threat to the world’s food supply, 76% of people said they felt climate change was a danger to Canada’s food supply, and 73% said the same about their province.
The survey also revealed that 33% of Canadians frequently check the labels of the foods they buy to verify the country or province of origin. About 24% check labels to see if products are organic, while 23% do so to check if they are non-GMO.
Research Co. reports that 61% of Canadians believe the agriculture sector is “definitely” or “probably” taking action to reduce its environmental impact, 60% said the forestry sector is doing the same, while perception is lower for the natural sector. gas (47%) and mining (42%) industries.
Methodology:
The findings are based on an online survey conducted May 4-6, 2023 of 1,000 adults in Canada. The data was statistically weighted according to Canadian census counts for age, sex and region. The margin of error, which measures the variability of the sample, is +/- 3.1 percentage points, nineteen times out of twenty.
Reporting for this story was paid for through the Meta-funded Afghan Journalists in Residence project.
