High food prices are slowly but surely crushing a majority of Canadians trying to afford decent food. Not-so-subtle indications headlined the 2026 Spring Edition of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab’s Food Sentiment Index. It’s time for government intervention…
Unrelenting high food prices are top-of-mind for a majority of Canadians this spring…
Inflation down… food up!
Food remains Canada’s top household concern, outpacing all other expense categories, including utilities (29.9 per cent) and housing (22.4 per cent), National Post reports. After peaking at 84.1 per cent in fall 2024 and dropping to 79.7 per cent in spring 2025, 81.1 per cent of Canadians identified food as the expense that increased the most in the past year.
“We’re really in a tight corner,” observes Stacey Taylor, an assistant professor of business analytics at Cape Breton University and coauthor of the Index. “And as things rise, we have less money to (spend on) the various things we need, so people are trying to be very conscious in terms of where their spending goes and where they’re going to be able to get the most value for the money that they are spending.”
Downgrading expectations
Canadians are apparently using the same compensatory measures they have been resorting all along, since the COVID crisis tapered off. They’re making tough decisions about whether to buy brand-name or house-brand products. They’re changing what they buy – downgrading their food choice expect-ations. And they’re starting to shift toward a diet in which plant products play a larger part.
In addition, more Canadians reported they’re buying food products mainly on price, rather than pay-ing slightly more for local produce. ‘Buy Canadian’ was still a significant ‘thing’ among shoppers last year at this time.
Time for official action
the food producers, manufacturers and retailers have shown they’re unwilling to do anything about it. The problem has migrated to the highest level – government. As I’ve said many times before, it’s time for the Government to take strong measures to bring food prices down, and keep them down.
There are two vectors on which this battle may be fought. The first is legislative – enacting tight reg-ulations and controls on food prices. That puts the supermarket cartel in the spotlight, but that’s where it should be. Bragging to shareholders about double-digit profits while millions of Canadians struggle to feed themselves is not only an absurd dichotomy, but a national disgrace.
The second is financial – creating a way for Canadians in need to access nutritious food, or money to pay for it. Food Banks are stretched to their limits and their efforts to serve those in need are failing. Other charities and supports are also crumbling under the pressure of ever-increasing need.
The eventual solution to high food prices will probably have to embody elements of both of those approaches. However, it pans out, the solution must be found and implemented without further delay.
My questions to you…
Have you downgraded your food choices in the past year?
Is the unrelenting high cost of food among your main day-to-day concerns?
Or even top-of-mind?
Do you agree that it’s – at the very least – improper for big supermarkets to skim double-digit profits during a food price crisis?
Is it just bad corporate citizenship?
Or is it bordering on criminal?
Do you agree it’s time for the federal government to act, reducing and regulating food prices?
Muse on that!
~ Maggie J.