More than three-in-five residents say they do not mind paying more for locally sourced fruits and vegetables.
Vancouver, BC [March 27, 2025] – Most British Columbians are not aware of how much Canada’s food supply relies on produce from the United States, a new Research Co. poll has found.
In the online survey of a representative provincial sample, only 36% of British Columbians correctly identify the proportion of fruits that come from the United States (36%, or somewhere between 21% and 40%).
Only about one-in-six of the province’s residents (16%) know that Canada imports somewhere between 61% to 80% of its vegetables (67%) from the United States.
When British Columbians are informed of the actual proportion of American imports, only 36% say they are “very confident” or “moderately confident” that Canada’s food supply and security will not be restricted by the current dispute over tariffs with the United States.
Most respondents (54%) are “very confident” or “moderately confident” that British Columbia’s food producers will be able to increase production if the food supply is ultimately restricted.
More than seven-in-ten British Columbians say they have seen prices increase for fruits (78%), vegetables (75%), beef (73%) and chicken (71%) over the past six months, while majorities feel the same way about cereal (61%), bread (60%) and prepared frozen meals (also 60%).
When asked who is most responsible for items becoming more expensive, almost three-in-ten British Columbians (39%) point the finger at the actions of governments, while one-in-four (25%) blame global political conflicts affecting supplies.
Fewer British Columbias think the actions of supermarket retailers and grocery stores (18%), climate change (11%), the actions of product manufacturers and suppliers (9%), labour and supply setbacks (6%) or the actions of farmers and growers (3%) are primarily responsible for rising prices.
“British Columbians aged 55 and over are more likely to blame global strife for rising food costs (30%),” says Mario Canseco, President of Research Co. “About a third of those aged 35-to-54 (33%) and aged 18-to-34 (32%) think governments are mostly responsible.”
If Canada had to look for non-American sources for food supply and security, just over a third of British Columbians (34%) would be willing to pay “less than 10% more” than now, while more than one-in-five (22%) are willing to pay “from 11% to 20% more.”
Fewer than one-in-five British Columbians (18%) would not be willing to pay more for non-American food sources—a proportion that rises to 22% among British Columbians aged 35-to-54 and 24% among Conservative Party of BC voters in last year’s provincial election.
More than three-in-five British Columbians (62%) say they do not mind paying more for fruits and vegetables if they originate in British Columbia, while just under three-in-four (74%) agree with making adjustments to the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) to allow for food processing on underused ALR parcels.
Sizeable majorities of British Columbians believe both the federal government (78%) and the provincial government (73%) can do a lot to help lower the price of groceries.
Methodology: Results are based on an online survey conducted from March 15 to March 17, 2025, among 801 adults in British Columbia. The data has been statistically weighted according to census figures for age, gender and region in British Columbia. The margin of error—which measures sample variability—is +/- 3.5 percentage points, nineteen times out of twenty.
Find our data tables here and download the press release here.
For more information on this poll, please contact:
Mario Canseco, President, Research Co.
778.929.0490
[e] mario.canseco@researchco.ca