Buying Local: Five Organizations Join Forces to Make It a Sustainable Habit

MONTRÉAL, Tuesday, September 8, 2026 — Aliments du Québec, Les Produits du Québec, the Association des détaillants en alimentation du Québec (ADAQ), the Conseil québécois du commerce de détail (CQCD) and the Conseil canadien du commerce de détail (CCCD) are joining forces to encourage Quebecers to make buying local a lasting habit, beyond current trade tensions.

The five organizations are issuing a joint call today to consumers, retailers, manufacturers and producers. Their message is simple: rather than focusing energy on finding products and foods to avoid, we need to learn to identify, recognize and embrace products from here for the long term.

The desire to buy local has grown stronger over the past several years, from the pandemic to trade tensions with the United States, as well as the enthusiasm generated each year by “June 12: I Buy a Quebec Product Day.” For the five partners, the time has come to turn this momentum into a lasting habit.

The solutions consumers are looking for already exist. They include food grown, raised, caught or processed in Quebec; goods produced, manufactured or designed here; businesses creating value in communities across the province; and retailers giving these products a place on their shelves, in their flyers and across their digital platforms.

“Interest in buying local is deeply rooted in Quebec, and we now have a great opportunity to turn it into a lasting habit. To make this happen, choosing local products must be easy and supported by trusted points of reference. That has been our role at Aliments du Québec for 30 years: verifying the origin of some 30,000 local food products so Quebecers can easily recognize them and choose them every day.”

— Corinne Demars, Interim Executive Director, Aliments du Québec

“For months, we have been talking about protecting our economy. Yet part of the solution is already in our hands. Today, 150,000 products certified by Les Produits du Québec are available through more than 25 retail partners across some 20 consumer sectors. Our recent study shows that by replacing $25 a week with Quebec-made non-food products, consumers could generate up to $3 billion in economic benefits. Few everyday actions have such tangible potential for impact. Buying local is neither a sacrifice nor an act of isolation. It is an investment in our economy, our businesses and our collective ability to prosper.”

— Elfi Morin, Executive Director, Les Produits du Québec

A Shared Responsibility

Quebec food and products are available across virtually every consumer category and at every price point. However, making them easy to identify and increasing consumer confidence requires everyone to play a role.

Consumers can look for the yellow Aliments du Québec logos and the blue houses of Les Produits du Québec. Retailers can make these products more visible and prioritize recognized certification marks. Manufacturers and producers, for their part, can use these trusted identifiers to better communicate where their products come from.

Choosing more products from here also helps strengthen our economy and the resilience of our supply chains. By bringing producers, manufacturers, distributors and retailers closer together, we foster stronger business relationships, support economic activity and employment across Quebec, and help keep a greater share of the value created here in the province. At a time when trade disruptions can quickly put supply chains under pressure, developing and strengthening these connections is also an asset for our economy.

“We cannot, on the one hand, ask Quebecers to prioritize local shopping and, on the other, leave our retailers to compete against businesses that are not playing by the same rules. If we want buying local to become a lasting habit, we must also give our retailers the means to remain competitive. Buy local, yes. But we also need to genuinely protect it.”

— Damien Silès, Executive Director, Conseil québécois du commerce de détail

“As consumers, we have the choice to prioritize food from here and, in doing so, support the producers, manufacturers and retailers who contribute to our economy. These are very tangible actions: every time we put a Quebec food product in our shopping cart, we are making a choice that has a real impact here. Retailers also help make that choice easier by making room for local products and showcasing them.”

— Pierre-Alexandre Blouin, President and Chief Executive Officer, Association des détaillants en alimentation du Québec

“In an economic context marked by uncertainty, buying local takes on particular importance. Every local product we choose helps support economic activity in Quebec and all those who contribute to it, while strengthening the connection between producers, retailers and consumers. The challenge now is to ensure that this interest continues beyond the current trade tensions and becomes a lasting part of our consumption habits.”

— Michel Rochette, President – Quebec, Conseil canadien du commerce de détail

For the five partners, it is crucial to turn this collective desire into a lasting commitment: choose products from here, support Quebec businesses and contribute, one purchase at a time, to the economic vitality of Quebec.