A new survey reveals how Canadians ‘feel’ about the food price crisis. And how close they feel to the food price ‘battlefront’. Two thirds of those polled said more support is needed for Canadians who are struggling to feed their families…
“Do you believe there’s too much, not enough or about the right amount of support for
those who are unable to access or afford enough nutritious food in Canada?”
The Nanos Research survey commissioned by CTV News is hot off the press – taken in late May through the first week of June. Rather than generating figures on the usual objective measures, the Nanos poll looked at more subjective aspects of the food price crisis.
Degrees of separation
One factor the survey studied – one which I haven’t seen measured before – is the degree and extent to which the food price crisis has affected Canadians. Nanos came up with a set of questions determine how closely Canadians have been touched by high food prices.
The result was a ranking of survey respondents by ‘degrees of separation’ from their local Food bank:
The ‘Not sure’ category came in at a relatively substantial 11.7 percent, compared to the combined ”Yes’ categories. To me that indicates that a lot of folks are reticent to admit they or their loved ones have fallen back on a food bank. The power of stigma…
How are you coping?
The survey also asked: “Thinking of the price of food, has your household done any of the following in the past 30 days?” The results were instructive…
Almost two-thirds said they were buying less-expensive food. Almost 30 percent said they were stockpiling food against further price increases. And just over 20 percent said they were eating less. Nanos notes that respondents were allowed to check off all answers that applied to them.
My take
The results of the Nanos poll indicate to me that most Canadians are in for the long haul – not expecting food prices to fall significantly within the foreseeable future. And they’re girding for a fight.
Perhaps the most telling statistic the poll generated is that two-thirds of those asked said not enough was being done to support folks suffering under high food prices…
~ Maggie J.