A Majority of Canadians Say They Don't Use Products Made With Child Labour (54%), But 46% Think They Do

Toronto, ON - Despite the belief by most that they can have an impact on child labour practices in other countries, nearly half of Canadians (46%) admit to using imported products that might have been made by children overseas - an average of 4.6 products a day - according to a new Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of World Vision Canada. On the other hand, 54% of Canadians believe they don't consume any products made by children overseas.

While a slim majority believes they don't use products that have been manufactured using child labour, most aren't entirely sure: eight in ten (82%) `agree' (35% strongly/47% somewhat) that they have `no idea if what they're buying is contributing to the exploitation of children in other countries', while just two in ten (18%) `disagree' (3% strongly/15% somewhat), insisting that they do know.

Most (87%) Canadians `agree' (41% strongly/46% somewhat) that `Canadians can reduce child labour in other countries by changing their buying behaviour', while just on in ten (13%) disagrees (3% strongly/11% somewhat) that Canadians can have this kind of influence.

For example, if they found out that a product they buy regularly was made by children, a majority (60%) of Canadians say they would stop buying it and switch to another brand. Four in ten (37%) would switch to a similar product that is ethically certified by an organization like Fairtrade. Others would tell everyone they know on social media (21%), complain directly to the store selling it (20%), or write a letter of complaint to the company/manufacturer (17%). Interestingly, one in ten (9%) would actually feel good about, feeling like they've helped that child earn money for his or her family. One in ten (11%) would feel guilty but buy the product anyway, and a similar proportion (10%) would do nothing because they don't think about child labour.

Moreover, it's not just individual consumers that could take action, according to Canadians. Thinking specifically about Canadian companies and what they can do to help, nine in ten (89%) `agree' (46% strongly/44% somewhat) that `Canadian companies could reduce child labour by investigating their supply sources', while one in ten (11%) `disagrees' (3% strongly/8% somewhat) with this approach.

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted between March 4 and 9, 2015 on behalf of World Vision Canada. For this survey, a sample of 1,007Canadians from Ipsos' Canadian online panel was interviewed online. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics to ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the adult population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll is accurate to within +/ - 3.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, had all Canadian adults been polled. The credibility interval will be wider among subsets of the population. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.

For more information on this news release, please contact:

Sean Simpson
Vice President
Ipsos Reid
Public Affairs
(416) 572-4474
[email protected]

About Ipsos Reid

Ipsos Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader, the country's leading provider of public opinion research, and research partner for loyalty and forecasting and modelling insights. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos Reid employs more than 600 research professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in the country, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and online panels. Ipsos Reid's marketing research and public affairs practices offer the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada, all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, Ipsos Reid offers syndicated information or custom solutions across key sectors of the Canadian economy, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, automotive, retail, and technology & telecommunications. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.

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Ipsos is an independent market research company controlled and managed by research professionals. Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos has grown into a worldwide research group with a strong presence in all key markets. Ipsos ranks third in the global research industry.

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