{"id":139456,"date":"2023-02-03T14:43:05","date_gmt":"2023-02-03T19:43:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canada-info.ca\/?p=139456"},"modified":"2023-03-01T12:56:03","modified_gmt":"2023-03-01T17:56:03","slug":"addressing-food-inflation-at-the-national-and-local-level","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canada-info.ca\/en\/addressing-food-inflation-at-the-national-and-local-level\/","title":{"rendered":"Addressing food inflation at the national and local level"},"content":{"rendered":"

The federal Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food studies bills, government activities and expenditures, and issues related to Canada\u2019s agriculture and agri-food industry.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Kody Blois, Member of Parliament and Chair of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food, said the role of the committee, like most other parliamentary committees, is to \u201cuphold the government to account, but also to hear from witnesses and different stakeholders, and be able to provide recommendations and reports back to the government.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With the drastic inflation of food prices being experienced across Canada, members of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food unanimously agreed to launch a study to examine the correlation between certain factors and food price inflation.<\/p>\n

In an interview with CIDI, Blois provides some important information on the study and food inflation at the national level.<\/p>\n

We also sat down with Gary Crandall, coordinator of the Brome Lake Food Bank, whom provided some insight as to how food price inflation has been impacting local citizens.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlthough Canada is better that other comparative countries, it is hitting hard for a number of families. Food prices are high, consistently over 10% for the last year,\u201d said Blois. \u201c(\u2026) Ultimately, we hope to table a report probably sometime during the winter session, likely in March. We\u2019ve had two meetings so far and the meetings have generally focused on having stakeholders and representatives from the grocery sector itself.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Blois continued to explain that the meetings were to \u201cunderstand how they go about determining their prices and whether or not they\u2019ve seen a change in how they go about pricing products.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe testimonies that we\u2019ve heard to date from the representatives from the grocery sector is that their gross margin in terms of pricing on food related items has not changed is the evidence they\u2019ve given thus far,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen you think about grocers and their dynamic, (\u2026) these are companies that have a variety of difference sources of revenue, not just the grocery sector itself.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Blois added that the grocery companies are pointing the finger at supply chain disruptions and higher prices in terms of fuel, food, and input costs, that is being passed on from food processors and farmers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are going to be hearing from other stakeholders, so at this point to be able to say definitively that I have an exact answer as to why we are seeing what we are would be too premature,\u201d he said. \u201cWe know that we are facing inflation across the economy. I think it is reasonable to assume that part of the reason you\u2019re seeing higher costs is a result of the costs that farmers and the producers themselves are facing, and some of those costs are being passed on.\u201d<\/p>\n

With concerns about grocers \u201cprice-gauging\u201d consumers, Blois noted that there is a \u201cplausible element\u201d as to why grocers are seeing a higher volume of profit.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMany people were buying food, particularly last year and the year before, from home. People were not going out to restaurants as often. I do think there was a significant change in terms of how consumers were sending money in terms of buying groceries,\u201d he explained. \u201c(\u2026) You might have seen a higher volume of profit because there might have actually been more food being bought from grocery stores than in a traditional scene.\u201d<\/p>\n

Blois said that it\u2019s important to also understand the \u201cnuance and conductivity of the markets\u201d when looking food price increases.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we look back over the last couple of years, I think a couple things are notable. Our supply chains have been severely impacted, and you\u2019d say look that was two years ago, but they have still not fully recovered,\u201d the highlighted. \u201cWe are globally connected, including where we source our food, so climate change is having a major impact on that, Covid has, (\u2026) and we\u2019re also seeing a change in nature of the supply chain in and of itself. That may be resulting in some higher costs as well in terms of product being sourced more locally.\u201d<\/p>\n

Blois continued to say that he believed there were various issues at play.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur committee is really focused on okay, once we hear this information, what are some tangible recommendations we can put back to government. That\u2019s where our focus will be,\u201d Blois emphasized.<\/p>\n

Crandall, who oversees that Brome Lake Food Bank, said that people are coming to the food bank now more than ever before.<\/p>\n

He emphasized that the food bank is \u201clucky\u201d to receive the support it does from the community.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe organizations, the family counter, businesses, a lot of individuals, make regular donations to the food bank, so we\u2019re surviving,\u201d he said. \u201cBut this is the 32nd year of the food bank and we\u2019ve never had demands like we had this past year. In November, we gave out 65 cards. (\u2026) We had food bank just last week and we packed for 59 requests. Since then, we\u2019ve had three emergencies.\u201d<\/p>\n

Crandall highlighted the dire situation of some of the individuals that call in for an emergency.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes they don\u2019t have anything. Sometimes they don\u2019t even have a pan to cook in and all that sort of thing,\u201d he added.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Crandall said that there are a lot of people in Brome Lake that do need help and that they are appreciative when they come to pick up their cards or their food.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSome of the perennials, we\u2019ve talked to them, and they said \u2018we could get along without the food bank, we wouldn\u2019t get along as well, but we know that we are going to get certain things at the food bank so that frees up money we can use to buy other things.\u2019 Now, with the price of vegetables, milk, especially for family, it\u2019s terrible,\u201d he explained. \u201cWe\u2019re there to help as much as we can.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Brome Lake food bank serves Knowlton, Brome, and West Bolton. Monthly food distribution takes place on the third Friday of each month.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Call 450-242-2020 and choose extension 319 if in need of this service.<\/p>\n

For the meetings and minutes of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food click here<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

CIDI also reached out to the Competition Bureau of Canada, an independent law enforcement agency that protects and promotes competition for the benefit of Canadian consumers and businesses, but they declined to comment. They did, however, agree to provide written responses to our questions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To hear about what the bureau has to say on food price inflation, listen to the full interview below:<\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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