Catherine Couturier – Agence Science-Presse
Local consumption is gaining popularity, and some are even starting to dream of Quebec’s food self-sufficiency. To what extent is this possible? The Rumor Detector reviews some myths surrounding this concept.
Autonomy or Self-Sufficiency?
The COVID-19 pandemic caused numerous disruptions in supply chains. In 2021, Premier François Legault promoted local food, even giving rise to a new concept: “food autonomy.” This still poorly defined idea partly echoes the definition of food sovereignty, which stipulates, among other things, the right of peoples “to define their own food and agricultural systems,” in opposition to an industrial and globalized system.
As for food self-sufficiency, it is defined as “the capacity of a state to produce as much food as its population consumes,” that is, all the food consumed by its inhabitants — a more restrictive concept than food autonomy.
1) Could Quebec quickly become self-sufficient?
No. In Quebec, complete self-sufficiency would be utopian, according to the Jean-Garon Institute — named after a former Quebec Minister of Agriculture who himself promoted such self-sufficiency. However, Quebec is indeed self-sufficient in several product categories — notably eggs, poultry, and dairy products — and even has a surplus of products like maple syrup, cranberries, and pork.
As Patrick Mundler of Laval University explained in 2020, Quebec produces twice as many calories as its population consumes. But since our agricultural system is primarily based on exports and specialization, we can’t simply reverse it overnight. The Radio-Canada program Carbone reports that since the 1950s, we’ve gone from 150,000 farms in Quebec, which produced three-quarters of our food through subsistence farming, to 30,000 farms.
Since 1989, Quebec has chosen to focus on pork exports, which means that grain corn production, used to feed these animals, also dominates the fields: approximately 80% of the oilseeds and grains grown in Canada are destined for animal feed.
Adopting a more subsistence-oriented approach to agriculture would take time and require changes in legislation: to encourage diversification in the size of farms, but also to facilitate access to plots of land of varying sizes, and to provide access to preferential electricity rates to support greenhouse cultivation. Not to mention the challenges posed by the labor shortage for harvesting what is sown, and the numerous free trade agreements already signed.
2) Does Eating Local Cost More? Not Necessarily…
The myth that Quebec products are more expensive is a persistent one. However, a recent report prepared by the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University, in collaboration with Aliments du Québec, reports that for 70% of the products analyzed, Quebec food products are the same price, or even less expensive, than those from elsewhere. The report analyzed the prices of 134 local products and 431 comparable products, as displayed in January and February 2022. Even though it was winter, two-thirds of the local food categories were priced as well as, if not better than, equivalent products.
It should be noted, however, that the products evaluated included foods prepared in Quebec, which may differ from the perception of a local food, and that in some categories, the products compared were limited due to the season (particularly fruits and vegetables). The inflation of recent months (caused by rising energy costs and the conflict in Ukraine, among other factors) could, however, have an impact on the price of food, both Quebec and international.
3) Does the grocery basket contain 50% Quebec products?
No. When we talk about local food, we often hear that 50% of the average grocery basket is made up of Quebec products. However, researcher Patrick Mundler puts this proportion at around 35%. It’s worth noting that the concept of “Quebec food” is variable. The organization Aliments du Québec offers certifications for foods whose main ingredients are grown in Quebec, but also for foods processed in Quebec. The Quebec Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPAQ) and the Union of Agricultural Producers of Quebec (UPA) also count products from elsewhere, but processed here, as Quebec food.
4) Is there a lack of variety in eating local food in Quebec?
No. It’s not just potatoes, onions, and carrots that grow in Quebec (even if potatoes are the champion!). It’s true that choices are more plentiful in the summer, but farmer Véronique Bouchard speaks of a « seasonal » diversity when it comes to local produce.
The vegetables that occupied the most acreage in Quebec in 2021 were corn, green peas, beans, carrots, and lettuce. As for fruit, blueberries, apples, cranberries, strawberries, and wine grapes were the most popular.
There’s also work to be done to discover forgotten and under-consumed local products: for example, marine resources or native plant species that can replace imported products (such as sweet clover instead of vanilla, or unripe strawberries, rhubarb, or sumac for lemon).
5) Is Eating Local More Eco-Friendly?
No. In an article published in The Conversation in 2020, agro-environmental professor Serge-Étienne Parent of Laval University questioned whether a shift towards local and organic food is necessarily better for the environment. A 2008 study estimated that the distance our food travels contributes to only 11% of greenhouse gas emissions. To truly reduce our footprint, we should focus on what’s on our plates, prioritizing plant-based foods over animal products.
In conclusion: Could we become completely self-sufficient?
There’s no simple answer to this question. Quebec was practically self-sufficient until the 1950s, but the variety on our plates was much more limited. Would consumers be ready to adapt? Furthermore, detaching from global production and distribution chains is theoretically possible, but Canada could find itself isolated if a crisis were to hit it in turn — fires, heat waves and droughts, floods, diseases, etc.
Leave a Reply