Recent high food price inflation has affected many Canadian families, especially those on tight budgets. Statistics Canada reported in October that food prices in stores rose at a faster rate than the consumer price index for all items for the 11th consecutive month.
the Ontario Student Nutrition Programwhich feeds 28,000 students in 93 participating schools, has been hit hard by inflation and needs more funding and volunteers. The school breakfast that It used to be $1.20, now it’s over $2.
A recent study by the nonprofit Angus Reid Institute found nearly 60 percent of Canadians struggle to provide food. for their families. When they can afford to buy food, many cannot afford to buy enough or buy the food they want.
end Skipping meals, eating old and low quality food., visiting different grocery stores to find cheaper options, resulting in insufficient nutrition. A Dalhousie University Study of 5,000 Canadians found that 23.6 percent of the population cut back on food purchases and 7.1 percent skipped meals due to inflation.
Excessive spending on food
Generally speaking, moderate inflation is not bad. the bank of canada targets an inflation rate of two percent — the midpoint of your one and three percent range. The Bank of Canada influences the inflation rate by manipulating the interest rate.
However, today’s high inflation is different: the Bank of Canada itself has recognized this. In a recent speech, Central bank governor Tiff Macklem said: “High inflation is making life more difficult for Canadians, especially those on a low or fixed income.”
Food, housing and transportation. They represent more than 60 percent of a household’s expenses. If food prices were subject to high inflation, households could divert income from housing and transportation to cover them. At the moment, however, high inflation is spreading across all three areas, meaning Canadians are having trouble putting food on the table, keeping a roof over their heads and paying for transportation.
(Statistics Canada), Author provided
the amount of money middle-income households spend on transportation and food it makes them vulnerable. But recent interest rate increases They are also not helping low-income people. Canadians spend the largest proportion of their income (nearly a third) to maintain a roof over your head. Recent increases in loan rates have pushed up housing costs.
The Canadian Food Price Report indicates thatHistorically, Canadians spend less than 10 percent of their income on food. But that has changed: Canadians now spend 16 percent of their income on food. The report also states that the food inflation rate has outpaced headline inflation over the past 20 years. The price of a typical grocery bill increased by 70 percent between 2000 and 2020.
Canadian health suffering
A key side effect of rising food price inflation is its impact on health and nutrition. When the cost of food increases, the availability of nutritious food to low-income people is restricted. This can eventually lead to long-term impacts on human health and puts additional strain on Canada’s already overburdened health care system.
According to research from the University of TorontoAn insecure food supply increases vulnerability to a variety of diseases and health conditions, including infectious diseases, poor oral health, injuries, and chronic conditions such as depression and anxiety, heart disease, hypertension, arthritis, and chronic pain.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
Similarly, a study conducted by researchers from Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, found that nutrition, especially in the postnatal state, is the most important factor affecting human growth. This indicates that shorter adult height in low- and middle-income countries is related to environmental conditions such as nutrition.
We must pay special attention to food price inflation because it has the potential to have lasting effects on physical and mental health of future generations. Our children are our future: we have no room for compromises with their food and nutrition. The malnourished children of today will result in the malnourished nation of tomorrow.
Coordinated Effort Required
It is essential to sensitize politicians and governments to this devastating situation so that they can take the necessary measures to combat the increase in food prices. Governments and policymakers must ensure that Canadians have access to nutritious and affordable food.
As a short-term solution, Canadians should consider buying frozen and in-season foods, growing them themselves, and replacing meats with legumes. To address food price inflation from a systemic perspective, policymakers need to index welfare amounts to inflation as quickly as possible to avoid unpredictable increases in food prices for assistance recipients Social.
Finally, companies should not take advantage of people’s desperation by raising food prices. Canada three largest supermarket chains have been posting massive profits Recently. They could use these earnings to offset part of the cost of food price inflation. There is no silver bullet for tackling high food price inflation effectively, but it will require a coordinated effort from all sides: governments, businesses and households.
