One thing to consider when analyzing these results is the fact that vegetarians are more
likely to be in the younger aged group. As mentioned earlier, generation Y consumers (born in
1980s and 1990s) demanded more cutting edge, exotic and vegetarian foods than any other
generation. We can also assume that a younger aged consumer will spend less on food
expenditures. They are more likely to be living a student life or have less income than a middle
aged consumer with a family and children to provide for. If this is the case, we would expect
vegetarians to fall within the lower food expenditure category. Taking this into consideration, it
should be noted that results found by this study are very sensitive to the current characteristics of
a vegetarian consumer. The relationship between a vegetarian and food expenditures might be
more pronounced if this study were to be evaluated in ten years from now. By that time,
generation Y will now be part of the middle aged category and possess more purchasing power
and disposable income. This might drastically alter the results found by this study.
Given all this information, we were still able to statistically prove that the probability of
spending less than $300 on food expenditures decreased when a consumer followed a vegetarian
diet and increased when food expenditures were higher than this amount. As mentioned earlier,
vegetarianism is a growing trend among today’s green society. We cannot ignore its growth nor
can we assume that its followers have little impact on the overall food market. Canada’s market
for vegetarian foods might be minimal, but we must also consider the type of consumer currently
living and immigrating to this country. Between the years 1990 to 2000, 40% of Canada’s
immigration came from several Asian countries such as China, Pakistan, Taiwan and India
(Oliveira, 2003). Although some of these countries do not follow a pure vegetarian lifestyle, they
tend to consume more plant-based foods.
Although still a young market, vegetarianism is proving itself as an emerging force
within today’s food demand market. It is also very versatile in terms of its overall marketability.
Specifically, it is not restricted to pure vegetarians or vegans. Non-vegetarians seeking a
healthier or meat-less option once or twice a week can also purchase these types of foods. Also,
the number of vegetarian restaurants continues to grow, and vegetarian options are being added
to everyday restaurant menus in order to accommodate for this new demand. A new market is
emerging and in order to fully capture its potential, new research is needed to empirically
understand its benefits as well as its costs.