Canada's Food Price Report

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Canada's Food Price Report provides a forecast of Canadian food prices and trends for the coming year. [1] [2] [3] The report is available in English and French, and has been published annually in December since 2010. [4]

Contents

Canada's Food Price Report aims to help consumers understand their grocery bills by explaining the factors that affect food prices such as energy costs, geopolitical conflicts, and currency fluctuations. [4] It is a resource to help consumers, businesses, and policymakers make more informed decisions. [4]

The University of Guelph produced the report until 2016, when it was joined by Dalhousie University. Since 2020, the University of Saskatchewan and the University of British Columbia have also contributed to the project team. [5] [6] The researchers use historical data sources, machine learning algorithms, and predictive analytics tools to forecast food prices. [4]

Canada's Food Price Report is regularly cited in the Canadian media, including CBC News, CTV News, Global News, The Globe and Mail, and Radio Canada. [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] In 2015, the report was recognized as one of the University of Guelph's most significant research accomplishments over the past 50 years. [12]

2018

The report published in December 2017 projected an increase in food prices in 2018 between 1% and 3% which was lower than the 2016 forecast for 2017. This would represent an increase of $348 in 2018 compared to 2017. [13] It was the first year that the researchers reported on the "major discounting and disruption" caused by the Walmart, Costco and Amazon in the food landscape in Canada. [13] CBC News reported that the biggest increases in the price of vegetables and restaurant food, which were forecast to increase between 4% and 6%. This was a larger increase than the usual 1% to 3% "normally experienced by restaurants". [14]

2019

The Globe and Mail reported the predictions for 2019, with food prices expected to rise between 1.5% to 3.5% in 2019, which would represent an increase in the cost of food of $411 for a family of four compared to 2018. The biggest increase would be in vegetables—between 4% and 6%. [15]

2020

ICI Radio Canada cited the report saying that the projected increase in the price of food for 2020 represented a greater increase than the rate of inflation. [16] [17]

2021

Articles by CTV News and CBC were published on the day the report for 2021 was released, 8 December 2020. [18] [19] [20] Factors that contributed to increases in the price of food in Canada included the "pandemic, wildfires and changing consumer habits". The predicted overall food price increase of between 3% and 5% in 2021 was the highest "ever predicted by an annual food price report". [18] It meant that an average family in Canada would pay $695 more for food in 2021 than in 2020. [18]

2022

The 12th edition of Canada's Food Price Report 2022 included research by four universities, Dalhousie University, the University of Guelph, the University of Saskatchewan and the University of British Columbia. [21] [22] Predictions include an increase in total food prices between 5% and 7% with the highest increases in dairy products and vegetables. [21] [22] : 6  This would result in a family of four seeing an increase of almost $1000 in their annual cost of food. [21] [22] : 6  This represents the highest increase since 2010. In 2021, there were a number of factors that contributed to an increase in the cost of food including problems with the food supply chain, including reduced capacity in maritime transport, high costs of transportation, COVID-19 pandemic ongoing disruptions and related lockdowns, wildfires and drought, and a high rate of general inflation that rose to levels of the early 2000s. [22] : 6 

Researchers noted that the provinces that will experience higher prices in 2022 are Alberta, British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario, and Saskatchewan. [23] Challenges with the food supply chain include disruptive closures, sanitation, transportation costs and reduced capacity. [23] In previous publications of the Food Price Report, predictions of overall increases have been accurate in ten of the eleven years. [23]

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References

  1. ↑ "Canada's Food Price Report 2019". Dalhousie University. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
  2. ↑ Guelph, University of. "Canada's Food Price Report forecasts families will spend $411 more on food in 2019". Newswire.ca. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
  3. ↑ Noakes, Susan (4 December 2018). "Annual grocery bill for average Canadian family could rise $400 next year, study predicts". CBC News. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Canada's Food Price Report 2025". Agri-Food Analytics Lab – Dalhousie University.
  5. ↑ "Canada's annual report on food prices going national in 2021". 8 July 2020.
  6. ↑ "Canada's Food Price Report adds Saskatchewan, B.C. collaborators".
  7. ↑ Heydari, Anis (5 December 2024). "Food prices could jump by up to 5% in 2025, and researchers say loonie is partly to blame: Food Price Report also shows inflation was at low end of predictions last year". CBC News.
  8. ↑ Tahirali, Jesse (5 December 2024). "These foods will be hit hardest by inflation in 2015, according to AI modelling". CTV News.
  9. ↑ Stephenson, Amanda (5 December 2024). "Food prices in Canada likely to increase by 3 to 5% next year: report". Global News.
  10. ↑ Helmore, Kate (5 December 2024). "Overall food prices to rise 3 to 5% next year: report". The Globe and Mail.
  11. ↑ Lepage, Yanick (5 December 2024). "Une famille devra débourser jusqu'à 800$ de plus pour son épicerie en 2025". Radio-Canada.
  12. ↑ "University of Guelph Research Document" (PDF). University of Guelph. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
  13. 1 2 Canada's Food Price Report 2022 (PDF) (Report). December 2017. p. 27. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  14. ↑ Edwardson, Lucie (14 December 2017). "Your restaurant tab may leap in 2018 if food prices rise as forecast". CBC News. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  15. ↑ Sagan, Aleksandra (4 December 2018). "Groceries to cost average Canadian family $400 more in 2019". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  16. ↑ de Montigny, Philippe (4 December 2019). "Le panier d'épicerie encore plus cher en 2020". Zone Économie-. Radio-Canada.ca.
  17. ↑ "Canada's Food Price Report 2020". Dalhousie University. 4 December 2019.
  18. 1 2 3 Bundale, Brett (8 December 2020). "Canadian families will pay nearly $700 more for groceries in 2021, report says". CTVNews.
  19. ↑ "Canada's Food Price Report 2021". Dalhousie University.
  20. ↑ "Expect to pay a lot more for groceries next year, thanks to climate change and COVID-19 - CBC News". CBC. 8 December 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  21. 1 2 3 Jackson, Hannah (2 January 2022). "Here's a look at what's going to cost more in 2022". CTV News. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  22. 1 2 3 4 Canada's Food Price Report 2022 (PDF) (Report). Vol. 12. p. 26. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  23. 1 2 3 Music, Janet. "Canada's Food Price Report 2022 press release". Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University. Halifax, Nova Scotia. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
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