Ottawa last week moved to amend the Competition Act, focussing on the grocery businesses, as part of its effort to combat the rising cost of living. The introduction of Bill C-56 came three days after innovation minister Francois-Philippe Champagne met with the chief executive officers of the five major grocery chains in the country to […] Read more
Tag Archives food prices — page 2

Senate must pass carbon tax bill now
The House of Commons overwhelmingly passed a bill to make food cheaper and help farmers. In fact, the House passed the bill twice. But after two years, the bill still isn’t law, and that delay has cost families and farmers almost $100 million. What’s stalling the democratic will of our elected representatives? The Senate. The […] Read more

World food prices rebound as vegetable oil rises
PARIS, France (Reuters) — The United Nations food agency’s world price index rebounded in July from two-year lows as vegetable oil markets rose following renewed tensions over grain exports from Ukraine and concerns over global production. The Food and Agriculture Organization’s price index, which tracks the most globally traded food commodities, averaged 123.9 points in […] Read more

Food prices fall to two-year low
Reuters — The United Nations food agency’s world price index fell in May to its lowest in two years, as a slump in prices of vegetable oils, cereals and dairy outweighed increases for sugar and meat. The Food and Agriculture Organization’s price index, which tracks the most globally traded food commodities, averaged 124.3 points in […] Read more

Grocery execs reject blame for food inflation
U of G food economist agrees with company leaders, saying there is not a lot of evidence that grocers are price gouging
OTTAWA — Senior executives from major grocery companies who appeared last week before a House of Commons agriculture committee examining food price inflation said they aren’t to blame for higher food prices. Michael Medline, chief executive officer of Empire Foods, said food inflation is a global phenomenon. “At Empire, I can assure you we are […] Read more
Wheat not causing food price spike: prairie growers
Wheat prices are not making bread more expensive, say wheat growers from the Prairies. In a joint statement issued today, SaskWheat, the Manitoba Crop Alliance and the Alberta Wheat Commission said a recent media report on food prices is inaccurate. Part of a Canadian Press story published last week said bakery prices in Canada are […] Read more

Canadian food prices among world’s lowest
It took the first 39 days of 2017 to reach Food Freedom Day in Canada, according to the Canadian Federation of Agriculture. The organization annually calculates the date by which Canadians will have earned enough income, on average, to pay their grocery bill for the full year. It came Feb. 8, a day earlier than […] Read more

MP asks ag committee to undertake food cost study
Rising food costs, particularly for fruits and vegetables, prompted Quebec NDP MP Ruth Ellen Brosseau last week to ask for a study about the causes and possible solutions. She is a member of the standing committee on agriculture, and asked the committee to undertake the study. She said the members should consult with producers, distributors, […] Read more

Compare costs by portion size
Calories vs. portions | Healthy eating’s higher price tag based on faulty logic: researchers
Grocery shoppers across Canada are frequently appalled by the cost of raspberries, asparagus, nectarines and other items in the produce section, but a United States Department of Agriculture economist has determined that fruits and vegetables aren’t more expensive than less healthy food, such as potato chips. Andrea Carlson, a food economist with the USDA Economic […] Read more