How geopolitics are pushing Canadians to buy Canadian — for real

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Countless surveys have shown us that Canadians want to buy Canadians.

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They say they want to support local farmers and processors, keep dollars at home and protect jobs. But when you're standing in front of a grocery aisle, good intentions often give way to convenience and price.

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However, this controversy seems to be fading. And geopolitics has a direct bearing on this.

According to the latest NIQ retail data, as of September 2025, sales of Made in Canada food products were up more than 10% year-over-year, while sales of products made in the U.S. were down nearly 9%. This trend has been continuing for more than six months.

In the world of consumer data, this is not a setback, but a shift. Canadians don't just say they want to buy Canadians; they actually do it.

Canadians responded to Trump

Turn on the TV on any night and you will see one recurring face – Donald Trump. Canadians, whether they follow U.S. politics closely or not, are constantly reminded of this message: America first.

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And consciously or not, they react.

Every fiery video about tariffs, immigration or foreign competition reinforces the sense that Canada needs to rely on itself. Buying Canadian food has become a quiet patriotic act, a testament to self-reliance in an uncertain world. When cross-border relations become tense, the grocery store becomes a symbolic space of control. Every jar of Canadian jam, every bag of local flour is a vote for stability and identity.

The idea of ​​“buy Canadian” is not new.. But for many years it lived mainly in our rhetoric.

In the North American market, the origins were vague and few buyers bothered to read the fine print. However, since the start of 2025, both the Made in Canada and Product from Canada categories have seen steady growth, while US imports have experienced seven straight months of negative sales. In the consumer economy, six months of stable behavior signals not only a change in mood, but also the formation of a habit. Canadians are showing signs that they are consistently incorporating “origin awareness” into their food choices.

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However, this new food patriotism also poses a difficult question: at what cost?

When consumers focus on national origin, market competition may also narrow. If Canadians' shopping becomes more driven by sentiment than value, we risk paying more—sometimes for products that aren't necessarily better or more environmentally friendly. It's worth wondering whether this wave of food nationalism, however well-intentioned, has contributed to rising prices. The more isolated our food market becomes, the greater the risk of inefficiency and complacency.

Canada's food sector is resilient

Canada's agri-food sector is amazingly diverse and resilient, but we can't efficiently grow or process everything. Pretending that this is not the case is economically naive.

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Independence should not turn into self-restraint. If this patriotic shift is to benefit Canadians, it must be driven by our comparative advantages rather than emotional reflexes. Our grains, seafood, livestock and pulses sectors are world class. Our innovations in food safety, traceability and clean processing are admired around the world. This is where the nation's energy should go: doubling down on what we do best, not trying to replace what others already do well.

Instead of equating “Canadian” with “expensive,“Our food economy must strive to make the word “Canadian” synonymous with quality, efficiency and innovation. This is a formula that will keep domestic manufacturing competitive while providing consumers with real choice on the shelf.

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This is not a call to abandon local pride – far from it. A strong domestic food base is vital for sustainability. But Canada's challenge is to balance patriotic consumption with global pragmatism. We must buy Canadian goods when it makes sense, trade when it benefits us, and remain open to the world.

The rise in sales of Made in Canada products reflects more than just emotion; it is a response to uncertainty.

The world is changing. Supply chains are political. And consumers, consciously or not, are adapting. But if we let fear rather than strategy dictate our choices, we risk turning a healthy preference into an expensive habit.

After years of saying they wanted to buy Canadians, the Canadians finally did it. The question now is whether we can channel this patriotism into productive competition rather than protectionism.

— Sylvain Charlebois is director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University, co-host of The Food Professor podcast, and visiting researcher at McGill University.

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