As tensions persist between Canada and the United States, should B.C. residents be worried about food security because we rely so heavily on American produce?
A new report reveals precisely how much we rely on American produce and how a vast minority of B.C. residents understand that reliance.
We spoke to a farming advocate last month who revealed some of the industry struggles that exist in British Columbia, which existed well before the tariff tensions came to light.
With that in mind, should we be concerned about food security?
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According to a ResearchCo survey, Canada imports around 61 to 80 per cent of its vegetables from the U.S. The report says that only 16 per cent of Canadian residents are aware of that fact. Additionally, ResearchCo says that only 36 per cent of British Columbians realize that somewhere between 21 and 40 per cent of fruits come from the U.S.
Once realizing these numbers, only 36 per cent of survey respondents feel very or moderately confident that the Canadian food supply won’t be restricted by the current tensions between the two nations.
54 per cent of respondents are very or moderately confident that food producers will be able to increase production if our food supply is restricted. What may be good news for local producers is that over three in five British Columbians say they don’t mind paying more for fruits and vegetables originating from the province.
It raises concerns over food security, especially with organizations like the Greater Vancouver Food Bank already struggling to feed those in need.
Gagan Singh, a local advocate for B.C. farmers, has been trying to help farmers get more organized and safeguard themselves against potential impacts from the ongoing trade war. Some of what Singh told Daily Hive paints a bleak picture for local agriculture.
“B.C. farmers are facing record bankruptcies due to rising costs, restrictive government policies, and uncertain trade conditions,” Singh said. Thankfully, Singh also noted that the province is full of opportunity.
“If we can get farmers to start working together and seeing that it doesn’t matter if you’re white, brown, Chinese, blueberry farmer, dairy farmer, we’re all going through the same issues.”
Singh’s views corroborate the report from ResearchCo, saying that our system isn’t set up for local consumption.
We asked Singh what he thinks about this new report.
“We’re so price-driven that we just grab the cheapest option without thinking about the source. But with upcoming tariffs and rising prices, more folks are starting to look closer and realizing just how much of our food doesn’t actually come from Canada,” he said in response.
“While the exact percentage from the U.S. is still unclear to many, there’s definitely a growing awareness that a lot of what we eat is imported,” he added.
If you want to take a deeper look into how much of our produce comes from America, a couple of smart people from UBC, including professor Navin Ramankutty and Dr. Kushank Bajaj, created a tool called Canada Food Flows, which shows exactly what percentage of specific goods come from America and other places.
“We hope Canada Food Flows can help Canadians understand where their produce comes from, and spark conversations about how things like climate change and trade policy could impact supply in the future,” Bajaj said in a release.
“Canada Food Flows shows that in 2022, 81 per cent of B.C.’s spinach, 70 per cent of its lettuce, 31 per cent of its tomatoes and 75 per cent of its onions came from the U.S.”
While it might not be time to hit the panic button, the data suggests we need to produce more locally for locals.
According to a 2022 B.C. agriculture report, “B.C.’s total agrifood, processed food & beverages and seafood exports reached a dollar figure of $6.16 billion in 2022 (+20.5 per cent from 2021).”
“Exports to the U.S. comprised 81.3 per cent of total B.C. agricultural exports and 67.8 per cent of seafood product exports,” the report added.
Are you still buying American goods? Are you finding it a struggle to buy completely local? Tell us your experience in the comments.