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 discuss how to stabilize food inflation. | File photo

Ottawa introduces grocer legislation

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

The author says a bill that exempts grain dryer fuel from the carbon tax is a small fix with big implications for food prices.  |  File photo

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

A shopper holds a bottle of vegetable oil in an aisle in a supermarket.

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


A shopper looks over the bill in a grocery store.

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

Galen Weston Jr., chair and president of Loblaw Companies Ltd., and Michael Medline, president and chief executive officer of Empire Company Ltd., appear before a committee on Parliament Hill last week.  |  Reuters/ Blair Gable photo

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


In a joint statement issued December 15, SaskWheat, the Manitoba Crop Alliance and the Alberta Wheat Commission said a recent media report on food prices is inaccurate. | Getty Images

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

Food Freedom Day came Feb. 8, one day earlier than 2016.
|  Getty photo

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

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.
 | File photo

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


Traditionally, economists have compared the cost of food per calorie, which led to conclusions that carrots were more expensive than french fries.  |  File photo

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