Canadians are Hungry
Ottawa, ON – John Barlow, Conservative Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Agri-Food, released the following statement on Canada’s Food Price Report:
“After Mark Carney’s cabinet was sworn in seven months ago, he was asked how his government would be held to account. Carney told Canadians to judge him by ‘their experience at the grocery store.’ Ever since, month after month, grocery prices have continued to rise, and families are struggling to put food on the table.
“It’s expected to get even worse, with Canada’s Food Price Report 2026 sadly noting, ‘If 2025 was difficult for Canadian households, 2026 is unlikely to be easier.’ The report finds that food prices are expected to increase even more, costing Canadian families almost $1,000 more per year on food.
“Compared to the 2015 household food budget of $8,286, families will spend 112 per cent more next year – more than double in just a decade. Nearly 85 per cent of Canadians said that food affordability is their largest financial concern, with a record 2.2 million visits to food banks in a single month.
“Higher prices are leading 86 per cent of Canadians to say they’re eating less meat due to its high price point. The report notes that ‘very rarely have we seen all three main components of the meat trifecta – beef, chicken, and pork – become more expensive at the same time in a single year.’
“The report also found that high prices are leading to Canadians ‘compromising healthy food choices in favour of more cost-effective yet less nutritious options.’ Nearly a quarter say they would eat healthier, and 20 per cent would buy higher quality food if only they could afford it.
“It’s being driven in part by higher operating costs on our farmers, which rose 2.5 per cent in one year. Higher energy costs drove up the price of fertilizer, fuel for farm equipment and the cost of transporting food from farms to stores. Producers were forced to take on 14.1 per cent more debt in 2024, the largest annual increase since 1981.
“Conservatives brought forward real solutions to lower the cost of food by removing the taxes that drive up the cost at the till and reducing the size of the record-high deficit that drives up the cost of everything, but the Liberals voted against both.
“With food inflation double the Bank of Canada’s target and prices rising 48 per cent faster in Canada than in the US, we can’t afford the cost of Carney. Just two days ago, we got the latest Statistics Canada report on food prices, which found astronomical increases since Carney became Prime Minister.
“The price of strawberries has skyrocketed 51 per cent, as beef and chicken increased 30 per cent and 23 per cent, respectively. Roasted or ground coffee has also spiked 22 per cent, with the cost of even salad dressing rising 13 per cent. Ground beef climbed 14 per cent since March, but even those avoiding meat can’t avoid the price hikes as the costs of meatless burgers grew 17 per cent year-over-year.
“It’s time to end the hidden Liberal taxes on food so Canadians can bring home nutritious, affordable food and have meat and potatoes every night on the dinner table again.”