Toronto, Nov. 01, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TORONTO, ON, November 1, 2023 - Helping to bring attention to Ontario’s diverse and vibrant range of local goods, Metro is returning to The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair from November 3 to 12, 2023 with its much-anticipated, interactive Spotlight on Local activation. In addition to demonstrating Metro’s ongoing commitment to supporting Ontario food producers through its Locally Sourced program, this year’s educational experience will place a timely emphasis on why and how consumers should help reduce food waste. Despite over 50 million tonnes of food being wasted annually in Canada, a recent METRO survey revealed almost half (46 per cent) of Ontario kids ages 6 to 8 believed it was someone else's job to reduce food waste versus something they could help with.
One way Metro is educating Ontario youth on food waste reduction is by providing a fully funded field trip experience to select grade one and two classrooms across the GTA who may not otherwise have the opportunity to attend The Royal.
“Our field trip experience aims to educate young students and encourage them to challenge the myths about where their food comes from, where it goes and how they can start taking action,” says Joe Fusco, Senior Vice President of Metro. “Students will have the opportunity to participate in an educational session with Joti Wall, a homeschool teacher and wife of local Ontario farmer, and interact with our Locally Sourced vendors to learn about the lifecycle of food, and how they work with local farmers and producers.
Metro’s educational experience for students at The Royal comes at a time where many young Ontarians don’t know where their food comes from and can’t name the ingredients in their favourite foods. Metro’s recent study revealed that of Ontario children ages 6 to 8:
- 96 per cent agreed it's not okay to waste food.
- 31 per cent didn’t know that a lot of their food is grown or produced in Ontario, with answers ranging from the US to China, Australia and “a place that is far away” when asked where their food comes from.
- 15 per cent thought that chocolate milk came from brown cows and more than 1 in 3 (36 per cent) thought there was ham in hamburgers. Plus, pigs, chickens and other animals made the cut when asked the source of hot dogs, including wiener dogs.
To attract and entertain the whole family, Metro’s onsite activation is also set to include a broad range of local vendors and the Champions Showcase presented by Metro, which highlights the winners of The Royal’s food competitions spanning across ten categories.
“We’re excited to help shine a light on a vibrant array of local food producers from across Ontario, offering samples of their products and connecting them directly with consumers, as well as other local food suppliers," says Fusco. “Since 2017, Metro has been increasing Ontarians’ access to locally grown and produced goods through our Locally Sourced program. As Ontario’s community grocer, we really value the relationships this program has built within our local communities and that’s why it’s so important we celebrate them.
Ontarians are invited to explore everything Spotlight on Local has to offer and learn how they can do their part to help reduce food waste by visiting The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair from November 3 to 12, 2023.
-30-
About the Study
From October 13 to 18, 2023, METRO Inc. conducted an online survey among a sample of 255 Ontario children aged 6-8 via their parents and hosted on the Angus Reid Forum. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/-6.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
About METRO Inc.
With annual sales of more than $19 billion, METRO Inc. is a food and pharmacy leader in Québec and Ontario, providing employment to more than 95,000 people. Its purpose is to Nourish the health and well-being of our communities. As a retailer, franchisor, distributor, manufacturer, and provider of eCommerce services, the company operates or services a network of 975 food stores under several banners including Metro, Metro Plus, Super C and Food Basics, and 645 drug stores primarily under the Jean Coutu, Brunet, Metro Pharmacy and Food Basics Pharmacy banners. For more details, visit corpo.metro.ca.
About Angus Reid Group
Angus Reid is Canada's most well-known and respected name in opinion and market research data. Offering a variety of research solutions to businesses, brands, governments, not-for-profit organizations and more, the Angus Reid team connects technologies and people to derive powerful insights that inform your decisions. Data is collected through a suite of tools utilizing the latest technologies. Prime among that is the Angus Reid Forum, an opinion community consisting of engaged residents across the country who answer surveys on topical issues that matter to all Canadians.
