Buying Locally: A Responsible Gesture

Consuming natural health products (NHPs) made in Quebec influences supply. The more consumers demand local products, the more they will be featured on store shelves and the more we will enable local innovators to thrive.

The NHP industry employs 3,500 people in 140 companies in Quebec, representing one-third of the NHP industry in Canada [1]. By buying local, we are promoting the development of Quebec businesses and the creation of jobs in our community. Every time we choose a product prepared or manufactured here, we contribute to our regional or provincial economy and encourage local people. If every month, each Quebec family replaced $20 worth of non-food products manufactured outside Quebec with the same value in Quebec products, hundreds of jobs could be created!

The movement to buy local has gained momentum in recent years, both in Quebec and elsewhere in the world. While the argument is primarily economic, environmental concerns are also motivating many groups and citizens to promote a reduction in “food miles.”

Products that come from far away have had to be transported thousands of kilometers to reach our stores. In North America, food travels an average of 2,000 to 2,500 kilometers before reaching our plates. Worse still, many of the best-selling natural health products in Quebec have traveled between 3,600 and 12,000 km. The environmental cost of transporting them across seas and continents is enormous. By buying products that have been transported over shorter distances, less energy will be used and fewer greenhouse gases (GHGs) will be emitted, which will help minimize environmental degradation.

By supporting our local businesses, you are contributing to a significant reduction in GHG emissions while stimulating the local economy and job creation. But above all, there is a good chance that you will save money yourself! The prices of NHPs are set according to many factors. But let’s assume that two NHPs, one from here and one from elsewhere, are sold at the same price. It is highly likely that a large part of the price of the imported product is related to transportation costs, which can be very high when the product comes from far away or has made numerous stops before arriving at your local store. Since transportation costs are lower for local products, you are paying for a quality product rather than for the transportation costs of a product that has traveled and polluted!

Do you consume locally sourced NHPs? [1] Ministry of Economic Development, Innovation and Export Trade, http://www.mdeie.gouv.qc.ca [2] http://www.distancity.com/