Canada’s annual food price report says a family consisting of a man and a woman, and two kids, should expect to spend nearly $14 thousand on food next year. That’s an increase of almost $700 and includes restaurant meals. The most significant increases will be for meat, going up by 4.5 to 6.5 per cent; bakery, up by 3.5 to 5.5 per cent; and vegetables increasing 4.5 to 6.5 per cent.

Project lead Doctor Sylvain Charlebois says, “Families with less means will be significantly challenged in 2021, and many will be left behind.” The conclusion is that immunity to higher food prices requires more cooking, more discipline, and more research.

The report says that the COVID-19 pandemic led to border and facility closures; shifting consumer demand and unemployment; as well as modifications in production, manufacturing, distribution, and retailing practices to enhance safety; all of these, impacting food prices. It also points to an oil price war and the devaluation of the Canadian dollar as significant factors.

The report was put together with contributions from the University of Saskatchewan, University of BC, Dalhousie, and the University of Guelph.