Loblaw’s gaffe and apology

Loblaw’s gaffe and apology

The grocers code of conduct is needed to offset political grandstanding

Reading Time: 2 minutes Ottawa recently witnessed a dramatic scene, especially during the proceedings of the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture, where a few witnesses chose to prioritize their agendas over assisting our elected officials in comprehending the complexities of food prices and the necessary actions to be taken. One particular individual, an economist seemingly more interested in grabbing headlines […] Read more



While it’s true that some level of greed exists in the food industry, as in any economic system, it can also be taken to an extreme.

Opinion: Sticker shock on grocery profits hides truth

The total number doesn’t look at profit margins, which paint a clearer picture

Reading Time: 3 minutes When it comes to selecting the most significant non-scandal of 2023, the “greedflation” campaign is the absolute winner. Politicians, and even some knowledgeable economists, have convinced many that Canadian grocers have taken advantage of the recent inflationary cycle to profit unfairly. Despite compelling data and many reports pointing to the contrary, many Canadians remain convinced […] Read more

“We’ve had a massive trading down in food choices in Canada over the past year, mostly from February to October. That is stabilizing now.” – Sylvain Charlebois, Dalhousie University.

Report sees lower Canadian food inflation through end of 2024

Project lead Sylvain Charlebois sees return to inflation “sweet spot” by year-end

Reading Time: 3 minutes Canadian food prices are expected to rise between 2.5 and 4.5 per cent in 2024, according to a new report. “It is probable that Canadians will continue to experience the strain of food inflation compounded by increasing costs of housing, energy and various other expenditures,” says Canada’s Food Price Report 2024, an annual joint effort […] Read more


Photo: Thinkstock

Canadian food inflation to slow through 2024, report says

More certainty has brought an uptick in grocer promotions, but consumers are struggling

Canadian food prices are expected to rise between 2.5 and 4.5 per cent in 2024, according to a new report. “It is probable that Canadians will continue to experience the strain of food inflation compounded by increasing costs of housing, energy and various other expenditures,” according to Canada’s Food Price Report 2024.

According to a recent Farm Credit Canada report, food service sales in 2023 are back to pre-pandemic levels but below the pre-pandemic trend in most cases.

Alberta leads national foodservice recovery

Wild rose province sees largest spike in sales in national survey

Reading Time: 2 minutes Alberta leads the country when it comes to increases in food service sales, with 7.3 per cent growth, according to a recent report from Farm Credit Canada. The report states that sales in 2023 are back to pre-pandemic levels but below the pre-pandemic trend in most cases. Alberta is followed by Ontario at 5.3 per […] Read more


Inflation saps joy of cooking for Canadians

Inflation saps joy of cooking for Canadians

Canadian price increases are lower than other jurisdictions but still a concern

Reading Time: 3 minutes Katie Clark cancelled her plans to cook Thanksgiving dinner this year because of rising food costs. The 32-year-old Toronto-based single mom says this isn’t the only way rising food costs have affected her over the last year. “It’s really affected what I make and how I cook, and it’s taken the joy out of it […] Read more

The FAO has forecast world cereal production at 2.819 billion tonnes in 2023.

September world food price index little changed

Food prices seem to be finding new stability after Ukraine invasion sent them skyrocketing

Reading Time: 2 minutes The United Nations food agency’s world price index was largely stable in September, as declines in the indices for vegetable oils, dairy and meat offset a surge in sugar and maize prices. The Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) price index, which tracks the most globally traded food commodities, averaged 121.5 points last month against a […] Read more



NDP ag critic Alistair MacGregor speaks Feb. 3, 2023 in the House of Commons. (Alistair MacGregor video screengrab via Facebook)

Federal NDP ag critic to handle food inflation file

Mini-shuffle follows new critic portfolio

Canada’s federal New Democrats have appointed their critic for agriculture and agri-food to a new point position on a major issue for the fourth-ranked opposition party. After the House of Commons resumed sitting last Monday (Jan. 30), NDP leader Jagmeet Singh on Friday named Alistair MacGregor, MP for the Vancouver Island riding of Cowichan-Malahat-Langford, to […] Read more