AV俱乐部

Canadians Are Feeling the Strain: New Fall 2025 Food Sentiment Index Reveals Deepening Concerns AV俱乐部 Affordability and Trust

HALIFAX, NS 鈥� November 20, 2025聽鈥� The Agri-Food Analytics Lab at AV俱乐部, in partnership with Caddle, has released the聽Fall 2025 edition of the Canadian Food Sentiment Index, offering a detailed snapshot of how Canadians think and feel about food affordability, access, trust, and purchasing behaviours as the year comes to a close.

This latest national survey highlights a population increasingly challenged by persistent food inflation, shifting purchasing habits, and growing skepticism toward food system actors. Despite pockets of optimism鈥攑articularly around local and Canadian-made foods鈥攐verall sentiment continues to reflect financial pressure and uncertainty.

Key themes emerging from the Fall 2025 report include:

• Affordability remains the dominant concern, with a majority of Canadians reporting they have changed how they shop, cook, or eat in order to cope with rising prices.
• Trust in major food retailers continues to erode, with more Canadians feeling disconnected from how prices are set and frustrated by a lack of transparency.
• Support for Canadian-grown and Canadian-made foods is rising, driven by both economic patriotism and a desire for higher perceived quality.
• Younger Canadians report the steepest decline in food confidence, while older households express growing concern about long-term access to healthy, affordable food.

Quotes

Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, Director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab and lead investigator for the Index, says the findings underscore a turning point in the national conversation:

鈥淐anadians are adapting, but they鈥檙e tired. What we鈥檙e seeing in this report is not just frustration with prices, but a deeper concern about fairness, transparency, and the future of our food economy. Trust is becoming just as important as affordability鈥攁nd right now, both are under strain.鈥�

Charlebois notes that interest in locally produced foods continues to rise:

鈥淥ne of the bright spots is the renewed enthusiasm for Canadian-made products. Many households see buying local as a way to regain control鈥攕upporting farmers, supporting domestic processors, and helping strengthen Canada鈥檚 food sovereignty.鈥�

Stacey Taylor, Senior Research Associate and co-author of the report, emphasizes how these pressures are reshaping daily behaviour:

鈥淧eople are making trade-offs every single day鈥攕witching brands, reducing variety, cooking more at home, or delaying purchases altogether. The data show a clear shift: affordability is now the lens through which most food decisions are being made.鈥�

Taylor adds:

鈥淲hile Canadians continue to value quality, healthfulness, and sustainability, those priorities are now filtered through tight budgets. The gap between what people want and what they can afford is widening.鈥�

AV俱乐部 the Canadian Food Sentiment Index

The Canadian Food Sentiment Index is published twice a year by the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at AV俱乐部 in collaboration with Caddle. It tracks how Canadians feel about food affordability, trust, access, safety, innovation, and purchasing intentions. The Fall 2025 survey draws from a large national sample, providing comprehensive insight into evolving consumer attitudes.

Media contact:

Sylvain Charlebois, Scientific Director, Agri-Food Analytics Lab
AV俱乐部
sylvain.charlebois@dal.ca
902-222-4142 (cell)

Download the report: