Canada's Food Price Report
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Canada's Food Price Report provides a forecast of Canadian food prices and trends for the coming year.[1][2][3] The report is available in English and French, and has been published annually in December since 2010.[4]
Canada's Food Price Report aims to help consumers understand their grocery bills by explaining the factors that affect food prices such as energy costs, geopolitical conflicts, and currency fluctuations.[4] It is a resource to help consumers, businesses, and policymakers make more informed decisions.[4]
The University of Guelph produced the report until 2016, when it was joined by Dalhousie University. Since 2020, the University of Saskatchewan and the University of British Columbia have also contributed to the project team.[5][6] The researchers use historical data sources, machine learning algorithms, and predictive analytics tools to forecast food prices.[4]
Canada's Food Price Report is regularly cited in the Canadian media, including CBC News, CTV News, Global News, The Globe and Mail, and Radio Canada.[7][8][9][10][11] In 2015, the report was recognized as one of the University of Guelph's most significant research accomplishments over the past 50 years.[12]
An August 2024 paper in Canadian Food Studies found that the Report were "scientifically incomplete" since it did not adequately account for climate change and the impact of corporate decisions on price.[13]
The report published in December 2017 projected an increase in food prices in 2018 between 1% and 3% which was lower than the 2016 forecast for 2017. This would represent an increase of $348 in 2018 compared to 2017.[14] It was the first year that the researchers reported on the "major discounting and disruption" caused by the Walmart, Costco and Amazon in the food landscape in Canada.[14] CBC News reported that the biggest increases in the price of vegetables and restaurant food, which were forecast to increase between 4% and 6%. This was a larger increase than the usual 1% to 3% "normally experienced by restaurants".[15]
2019
The Globe and Mail reported the predictions for 2019, with food prices expected to rise between 1.5% to 3.5% in 2019, which would represent an increase in the cost of food of $411 for a family of four compared to 2018. The biggest increase would be in vegetables—between 4% and 6%.[16]