Federal report examines food costs in Canada

Ottawa – The Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food presented a report on June 13 to the House of Commons on food price inflation.

The report, entitled “Grocery Affordability: Examining Rising Food Costs in Canada,” is based on testimony from the 58 witnesses the committee heard over nine meetings held between Nov. 21, 2022, and April 17, 2023. These included representatives from civil society groups as well as stakeholders from primary production, food and beverage processing, and food retail.

The report contains 13 recommendations to the Government of Canada on how it can tackle factors driving food price inflation, including strengthening data collection on price formation throughout the supply chain and addressing financial challenges faced by farmers and food processors. It also recommends actions to address challenges related to relations and competition in the food supply chain, notably the implementation of a mandatory and enforceable code of conduct for the sector and strengthening the Competition Bureau’s powers.

Read the full report.