The recent surge in food prices is troubling many Canadian families, especially those on a tight budget. Statistics Canada reported in October In-store food prices have outpaced the consumer price index for all items for the 11th straight month.
of Ontario Student Nutrition Programserves 28,000 students in 93 participating schools. Hit hard by inflation, needs more funding and volunteersThe school breakfast is Used to be $1.20, now over $2.
A recent study from the nonprofit Angus Reed Institute found that nearly 60% of Canadians struggle to provide food for their family. When food can be afforded, many people cannot afford enough or the food they want.
they end up Skipping meals, eating old, poor quality food, visiting different grocery stores to find cheaper options leads to poor nutrition.a Dalhousie University Research Of the 5,000 Canadians, 23.6% of the population found that they had reduced their food purchases and 7.1% had skipped meals due to inflation.
overspending on food
Generally speaking, moderate inflation is not a bad thing.bank of canada 2% inflation target — Midpoint between 1% and 3%. The Bank of Canada affects inflation by manipulating interest rates.
But the current high inflation is different — the Bank of Canada itself admits this. In a recent speech Central Bank Governor Tiff Macklem said: “High inflation makes life more difficult for Canadians, especially those with low or fixed incomes.”
food, shelter and transportation It accounts for more than 60% of household expenses. If only food prices were affected by high inflation, households would be able to divert income from shelter and transportation to cover it. But with high inflation sweeping through all three of her territories at the moment, Canadians are struggling to keep food on the table, a roof over their heads and access to transportation. increase.
(Statistics Canada), Provided by the author
of Amounts middle-income households spend on transportation and food make them vulnerable.However recent interest rate hike It doesn’t help low income people either. Canadians spend the highest percentage of their income (almost a third) on maintaining their livelihoods. roof over their headsHousing costs are rising due to the recent rise in lending rates.
The Canadian Food Price Report shows that:, Historically, Canadians spend less than 10% of their income on food. But things have changed. Canadians currently spend 16% of their income on food. The report also says the food inflation index has outpaced general inflation for the past two decades.Typical Grocery Bill Prices 70% increase between 2000 and 2020.
Canadian health hazards
The main side effect of rising food prices is the impact on health and nutrition. Rising food prices make it difficult for low-income people to afford nutritious food. Ultimately, this could have long-term consequences for human health, putting even more pressure on Canada’s already strained healthcare system.
according to University of Toronto studyinsecure food supplies increase vulnerability to a range of diseases and health conditions, including infectious diseases, poor oral health, injuries, chronic conditions such as depression and anxiety, heart disease, hypertension, arthritis and chronic pain. increase the
Canadian Press/Graham Hughes
Similarly, research by researchers from Harvard Center for Population and Development Studiesfound that nutrition, especially after birth, was the most important factor affecting human growth. This indicates that short adult stature in low- and middle-income countries is related to environmental conditions such as nutrition.
Food price inflation needs special attention as it can have long-term consequences. Mental and physical health for the next generationOur children are our future. There is no room for compromise in children’s diet and nutrition. Today’s malnourished children will be tomorrow’s malnourished nation.
Coordinated Effort Required
It is essential to make policy makers and governments aware of this devastating situation and take the necessary steps to combat rising food prices. Governments and policymakers should ensure that Canadians have access to affordable nutritional foods.
As a short-term solution, Canadians should consider buying seasonal and frozen foods, growing the food itself, and replacing meat with legumes. To address , policymakers need to index social welfare amounts with inflation as soon as possible to prevent unpredictable food price increases for social welfare beneficiaries.
Finally, businesses should not capitalize on people’s despair by raising food prices.Canada’s The 3 biggest grocery chains are making huge profits soon.they take these profits offset some of the costs of food price inflationThere is no silver bullet to effectively deal with high food prices, but it will require concerted efforts from all sides of governments, businesses and households.
