U.S. tariff threats have boosted Canadians’ view of the nation’s food system, a new report shows.
Fifty-eight per cent of Canadians have a positive view of the food system, up from 45 per cent in 2024 according to the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity’s annual public trust research report.
The report also showed that 45 per cent of Canadians feel the system is headed in the right direction, the highest level since a surge brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. It attributed this, in large part, to Canadians rallying around domestic goods in the face of trade tensions.
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Scientists more trusted than farmers
While trust and transparency in stakeholders strengthened overall, scientists overtook farmers for the first time as the most trusted among all food system stakeholders with 44 per cent of people rating them as trustworthy. The report suggests this “highlights the growing importance of science and research in shaping public perceptions.”
Farmers remained a close second, at 42 per cent.
Results also demonstrated confidence in farmers as environmental stewards has bounced back slightly from 2024. Twenty-three per cent of respondents strongly agreed that farmers are good stewards versus 19 per cent last year.
The three least trusted stakeholders were AI tools, social media personalities and politicians, though AI tools such as ChatGPT were listed as one of the top five most used information sources Canadians use to make informed food choices, suggesting a “difference between credibility and exposure.”
Canadians’ trust in the country’s food inspection system reached a new high with 27 per cent strongly agreeing that they trust in the safety of Canadian food compared to 14 per cent in 2024.
Trade tensions shift trust
Geopolitical tensions appear to have also influenced Canadians’ impressions of food beyond their borders.
In 2023, 22 per cent of respondents trusted food imports from America more than other international exporters. Only 12 per cent said they trusted other sources more. In 2025 that number almost completely reversed, with 15 per cent trusting the U.S. and 23 per cent trusting other sources.
The report compares Canada’s ongoing trade tensions with the U.S. to 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic as both years saw the “food system thrust into the spotlight, both nationally and locally.”
“Positive impressions are rising, but they remain fragile,” the report said. “To sustain and strengthen this momentum, Canada’s food system will need more than temporary visibility.”
It also recognizes the 2025 results as a moment of optimism, one on which the country and the food sectors must capitalize.
“To hold onto this trust, the sector must turn temporary attention into lasting connection,” the report said. “Canadians respond to what feels close, human, and relevant. Trusted messengers such as farmers, scientists, and food experts need to stay visible, not only in moments of crisis or national pride but in the everyday stories that remind people why Canada’s food system matters.”
