Statistics Canada says February marks the seventh consecutive month of double-digit food inflation

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Food is so costly that a third of Torontonians accessing food banks have full-time jobs. 

Neil Hetherington, CEO of Daily Bread Food Bank, said food banks in Toronto see about 270,000 visitors a month, whereas the pre-pandemic and inflation spike rate is 65,000 per month.

"270,000 is what you said in Toronto alone per month, this month?" asked Conservative MP Lianne Rood.

Hetherington replied: "At the end of March, we will have 270,000."

Food prices in Canada skyrocketed in 2022 owing to runaway inflation. Record numbers have accessed food banks to feed their families — a trend that continues in 2023 as food prices rose again.

Canada's Food Price Report 2023 predicts a 5% to 7% food price increase this year following a 10% hike in 2022. Consumers felt the most substantial increases among vegetables, dairy, and meat.

Food prices in Canada skyrocketed in 2022 owing to runaway inflation. Record numbers have accessed food banks to feed their families - a trend that will continue next year as food prices are projected to rise again.https://t.co/dMNxKSr0cw

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According to the Statistics Canada Monthly Average Retail Prices report, the price of the cheapest grocery items has doubled since 2020, including potatoes (19%), chicken thighs (23%), white bread (25%), stewing beef (26%), canned beans (32%) and spaghetti (up 54%).

"I cannot stress enough the desperation that Canadians across this country are feeling as people are simply trying to survive," testified Lori Nikkel, CEO of Second Harvest Canada. 

"They don't have the means to make ends meet."

Report 2023 forecasts that an average family of four will spend up to $16,288.41 per year on food, an increase of up to $1,065.60 from 2022.

"Every day, Canadians choose between healthy, nutritious food and other essentials like housing, heating, water and transportation," said Nikkel. 

According to Blacklock's Reporter, "food is a discretionary cost."

Hetherington testified that "things are upside down" with the low unemployment rate and high food bank usage.

"We can't fully compensate every single Canadian for all the effects of inflation," says Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland. "To do so would only make inflation worse."

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"This is the very first time in the 40 years food banks have been in Canada that we have seen unemployment so low and food bank usage at the rates we are seeing right now."

"What is new is we are now seeing individuals working full time having to use food banks," said Hetherington. "That number has risen to about one-third of food bank clients having full-time employment."

According to Blacklock's Reporter, the cost of running a family car rose 13.4%, food prices increased 14.8%, and mortgage interest costs jumped 18%.

Although StatCan's latest report shows inflation for Canada's goods is cooling, food prices remain high.

"High inflation, especially for food products, has [severely strained] living costs, especially among more vulnerable households as income and saving levels adjust to the withdrawal in pandemic-related supports." 

From 2007 to 2019, Québec spent the most of any province on corporate welfare at $79.6 billion.

If Albertans didn’t give equalization payments (via federal income taxes) to Québec, they wouldn’t have the money to subsidize industry.

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The Consumer Price Index (CPI) for February was 5.2% year-over-year, a decrease from January's 5.9% year-over-year increase.

"This was the largest deceleration in the headline CPI since April 2020," the StatCan report reads.

Despite the overall signs, inflation is decreasing — from 5.9% in January to 5.2% the following month —Canadians did not observe cheaper food prices. Compared to last February, prices rose 10.6% year-over-year — a slight decrease from January (11.4%).

StatCan says February marks the seventh consecutive month of double-digit food inflation, attributed to supply constraints from extreme weather in some regions and higher costs of animal feed, energy and packaging materials.

Pasta products continued to increase in price, with a 23.1% year-over-year difference in February.

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Fruit juice had the most significant increase in price from January to February 2023, rising to 15.7% year-over-year in February.

According to StatCan, the increased price of orange juice specifically caused the quick rise in the cost of fruit juice overall.

"The supply of oranges has been impacted by citrus greening disease and climate-related events, such as Hurricane Ian," reads the CPI report.

According to the data, in January, oranges had a year-over-year increase of 14.1%, which rose to 15.1% in February. Similarly, apples rose in price year-over-year to 16.6% in February, a 4.5% increase from January.

Additionally, fresh or frozen poultry remained high, as StatCan pegged the year-over-year increase at 10.7% in February, a slight increase from January.