Canada Ethics in Food & Drink Market Report 2021

Providing the most comprehensive and up-to-date information and analysis of the Canada Ethics in Food & Drink market including the behaviors, preferences, and habits of the consumer.

Ethics have evolved to being an important consideration that is central for businesses. This applies to the food and drink industry. This report examines the role of ethics in food and drink and looks at the extent to which Canadians account for ethics when making purchase decisions. The report also examines what ethical considerations matter most to consumers when choosing where to shop, what to purchase, and where to eat out. Furthermore, Canadians are asked why ethics matter to them and what their attitudes are when it comes to ethics and COVID-19, politics, evolving societal norms, and other areas. Ethics represent an expansive topic and this report aims to provide focus and context using Canadians’ input.

• Rather surprisingly, Canadians are forgiving. Some 87% of Canadians for whom ethics matter in food and drink agree that they are “willing to forgive companies for apparent ethical transgressions if they make a serious effort to correct their mistakes.” Simply put, this means how ethical missteps are addressed is crucial.
• If anything, COVID-19 has heightened the importance of ethics based on the assertion of most Canadians. The question for food and drink is, how is this heightened importance manifested and will the effect last?
• When it comes to why ethics matter to Canadians when shopping for food and drink, the environment ranks as the top reason. Although there are many different areas of concern when it comes to the environment, addressing waste from packaging and food is most pressing.
• Locally produced is the top ethical consideration for Canadians at retail and foodservice when it comes to food and drinks. Simply put, ‘Canadian-’ or ‘locally’ made resonates with a broad cross-section of individuals and if there’s a story to be told in this regard, it’s worth telling it.

Read on to discover more about the Canada Ethics in Food & Drink consumer market, read our Dining Out – Canada – 2021 report, or take a look at our other Food & Foodservices research reports.

Quickly understand

• The impact of COVID-19 on consumer views around ethics in food and drink.
• Ethical considerations that matter most to Canadians in food and drink manufacturing, at grocers and at foodservice, ethical food shopping, and ethical food brands.
• What drives Canadians to care about ethics in food and drink.
• What the share of Canadians is who concern themselves with ethics in food and drink? How much do they care?

Covered in this report

Brands include: Pearl Milling Company, Infarm, Sobeys, Unilever, Hellmann’s, Mc Donald’s, J.M. Smucker, Colombian Coffee Growers Federation, Volcafe Specialty Coffee Corp, Maple Leaf Foods, Ben & Jerry’s, Starbucks.

Expert analysis from a specialist in the field

This report, written by Joel Gregoire, a leading analyst in the Food & Drink sector, delivers in-depth commentary and analysis to highlight current trends and add expert context to the numbers.

As with other industries, ethics in food and drink matter for nearly all Canadians. Focusing on ethics in one way or another is not a ‘nice to have’ but a ‘need to have’. The onset of COVID-19 has cemented this view. The good news is there is a great deal of room for companies to express their commitment to ethics in a variety of ways. This can range from supporting local, to protecting the environment, to addressing social and economic-related issues. As the pandemic (hopefully) wanes, food and drink companies can be a positive force for change in ‘the next normal’.

Joel Gregoire
Associate Director for Food & Drink