In this qualitative study with three ethnocultural groups in two regions of Canada, we explore the ways reflexivity and tradition may help explain regional differences concerning ‘ethical consumption’ in relation to food. We argue that ‘reflexive modernity’ cannot be said to apply unambiguously in contemporary Canada. The food concerns of Punjabi British Columbian and African Nova Scotian participants centred more on cultural traditions than on ethical consumption. While European Canadians in British Columbia (BC) and Nova Scotia (NS) appear similar on the surface, British Columbians expressed strong commitment to discourses of ethical consumption, while those in Nova Scotia displayed almost no engagement with those discourses. In contrast, tradition was a more prominent concern in food decision-making. Availability of resources for ethical consumption both shaped and was shaped by local discourses. Differing relationships to community may contribute to reflexive ethical consumption.
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