Would you describe someone who buys only organic food as:

a) granola

b) trendy

c) vegetarian

d) rich?

In the first cross-Canada study of factors that lead consumers to purchase organic, fair trade or locally produced foods, the Montreal organization Equiterre asked that question, and others, in an attempt to identify the major obstacles to what it calls “responsible food consumerism.”

As expected, cost turned out to be a major factor in why some of us don’t choose organic food. For example, 82 per cent of respondents said high price was the main obstacle to buying organic.

But uncertainty of whether the products are truly organic was cited as a major obstacle by 41 per cent of respondents. And while organics are seen as healthful, ecological and of good quality, they also are associated with some cliche images, the study notes.

Of those interviewed, 42 per cent said those who buy organic food are “granola,” 42 per cent called them “trendy,” 39 per cent labelled them “vegetarians,” and 24 per cent said they were “rich.”

But though many people want locally produced, organic and fair-trade products, confusion reigns in the food aisles because of a lack of clear labelling. More than 80 per cent of the 1,662 Canadians interviewed by Leger Marketing for the study said the terms “fair trade,” “organic” and “origin” should be subjected to mandatory certification.

A big surprise to the study’s authors was the strength of demand for locally grown or produced products, said Frederic Pare, coordinator of Equiterre’s ecological agriculture program.

“We already knew there was demand for organic and fair-trade products, but the fact there was such a strong desire for local products and so many people were ready to pay more for them” was a surprise, Pare said.

The majority of respondents - 85 per cent - said buying local foods is important to them, and 77 per cent said they make an effort to do so. Also, 72 per cent said they are willing to pay more for locally produced foods, partly to encourage local producers (84 per cent), partly because of the quality of the products (57 per cent) and partly because they felt purchasing local was better for the environment (42 per cent).

The study comes just as markets and grocery stores are starting to stock quantities of local produce and as regional hearings by Quebec’s legislature committee on the future of agriculture are wrapping up. The committee will be in Montreal this fall to hear submissions from local groups.

The complete study is available at www.equiterre.org