1. Why Canadians Buy Local?

2. Interest in Local Foods Drives Purchases

3. Interest in Local Foods Drives Purchases

4. Interest in Local Foods Drives Purchases
Most Canadians are drawn to selflessness of living local. They acknowledge the importance of having community pride, want to support their local economies as well as Canadian-made products and services, and find value in giving back to their local areas. However, they also acknowledge that there is a limit in what consumers can reasonably do to support their communities, and much of that determination comes down to convenience.
Consumers want to purchase local products—namely the local produce that they tend to most associate with their own health—but they don’t want to go out of their way to get them. Marketers should be encouraged to find more ways to bring the local products consumers want directly, or at least in closer proximity, to them. In this way, local involvement can be positioned as being mutually beneficial to communities as well as the residents on which communities depend. Consumers wanting at least some personal gain from their local efforts will also feel better accommodated.

5. Interest in Local Foods Drives Purchases
Eating locally grown food means you're supporting family-owned Canadian farms instead of big foreign companies that had to freeze and ship the food to you. This doesn't just mean you're supporting local farmers, but you're also doing a big favour to yourself and your family, by eating higher quality, GMO- free organic food.
Canada has very strict GMO laws and many Canadian farmers have also become organic-certified over the years. And even if there were some chemicals involved in the growing process, by buying locally, you have the opportunity to talk to the farmers and ask them everything you want to know about the food you're buying.

6. Interest in Local Foods Drives Purchases
The National Restaurant Association has identified "locally sourced meat and seafood" and "locally sourced produce" as the top two trends to look out for. It's 2017 and locally sourced produce, locally sourced meat and seafood are still trending. And in the first place of Top 10 Concept Trends is "hyper-local sourcing (e.g. restaurant gardens, onsite beer brewing, house-made items)", which points to the fact that restaurants are even willing to have their own gardens, just to get the freshest groceries possible.

7. Interest in Local Foods Drives Purchases
TOP 10 LOCAL FOOD STORES IN TORONTO 
St. Lawrence Market
Big Carrot
Evergreen Brickworks
Dufferin Grove
Fresh from the Farm
Karma Co-op
Rowe Farms
Raise the Root
Sweet Potato
The Stop

8. Interest in Local Foods Drives Purchases
When it comes to safety and quality of our food, more and more Canadians are turning to local food growers and providers, a new poll shows. The exclusive Ipsos poll for Global News shows the vast majority of Canadians (83 per cent) said it’s important they know where their food comes from. When it comes to what food producers Canadians trust the most, local growers and farmers get top marks, with 95 per cent saying local markets and butchers are doing a good job ensuring the quality and safety of their food products, followed by 94 per cent saying the same for produce and wheat farmers.

9. Interest in Local Foods Drives Purchases
Meanwhile, 89 per cent think livestock farmers are doing a good job, 85 per cent think the same of Canadian grocery stores.
“The idea of eating local appears to have moved beyond a fad or trend and into the realm of a paradigm shift in the way that Canadians think about their food.”

10. Interest in Local Foods Drives Purchases
Our food-obsessed culture is more interested than ever in sourcing their food locally, and local food experiences have become one of the primary travel motivators. Through a comprehensive study, we discovered the rise of food tourism is driven by the values of the modern consumer, specifically millennials, who look for immersive travel experiences.
So, why has food tourism blown-up in recent years? There are a few trends contributing to the boom, one of which is that people simply want to enjoy the yummy fruits of the region they're exploring by tasting, sipping and savouring the local spirits, produce and specialty dishes. Culinary trails are another emerging trend contributing to the rise of food tourism, with tourists eating their way through these food and beverage theme trails, which has seen significant growth in Canada.

11. Interest in Local Foods Drives Purchases
From the Niagara wine route to the Dumpling Trail in Richmond, B.C., these mostly self-guided tours continue to crop up across the country. It's why provinces like New Brunswick, who have previously not had a food tourism strategy, are now working with restaurateurs and taste experiences to build their local food identity.
Other food and beverage movements, like the proliferation of craft beer and breweries, also entice food tourists and are having a huge impact on tourism. Last year alone, Ontario generated more than $69 million in craft beer sales and these hoppy libations continue to be one of the fastest growing categories in the beverage sector.