The Availability and Relative Cost of Locally Produced Foods in Grocery Stores in Nova Scotia

Abstract

In this study, an adapted National Nutritious Food Basket (NNFB) survey tool was used to monitor availability of locally produced foods in grocery stores in the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. As part of a larger Participatory Food Costing Project, which employed a participatory action research (PAR) methodology, data on the availability and relative cost of locally produced food items were collected in a stratified random sample of grocery stores (n = 46). Analysis of the results revealed that though there were inconsistencies in the availability of NNFB items that were produced locally, a similar pattern of availability was found in grocery stores throughout Nova Scotia. In 75% of the grocery stores that offered a local option, the locally produced NNFB food was lowest in price.