Brody Langager
Saskatoon StarPhoenix
The average family of four has seen annual grocery costs rise by $4,400 since 2019. That number is expected to rise by another $1,000 this year.
That’s according to Brooke Coller, a horticulture outreach specialist at the U of S who is part of a free webinar called “Food is Too Expensive!”
Coller said there’s general agreement that food prices and the cost of living have become too expensive for most Canadians.
But there seems to be disagreement on the right response.
“So this webinar is examining this through the lens of food sovereignty, (which) is the right of people to have healthy and culturally-appropriate food, and the right to define their own food and agriculture system,” Coller said, noting it means having food systems that are for people, not for profit.
She said these food systems also need to work with nature, build knowledge and skills within the community, value food providers and localize production and control.
The webinar will examine some case studies both globally and within Saskatchewan on how communities are stepping up. There will also be practical information available to help people learn how to grow, cook and shop for their own food.
Coller said community gardens can be a great way to cut down on food costs, if they are done correctly.
“I’ve had a community garden in the past, I really loved working in that and working alongside other people… so it’s important not just for food security, but also for building that community.”
Karen Tanino, a U of S professor in the department of plant sciences, highlighted a student-led initiative called Giving FWRd, reducing food waste created by businesses in the city by selecting food that was nearing its expiry date and creating meals to distribute.
She said that initiative saved more than 135 kilograms of food from going into the landfill.
Tanino said while food waste in Canada has decreased over the past few years, it’s still fairly significant, and one reason why food prices are so high.
Rising prices and corporate monopolies
“In Canada, one in four households is food insecure, and that number is greater for black, Indigenous, northern and newcomer communities,” Coller said, adding that food prices have been climbing since 2020.
The webinar will delve into some of the causes of increasing food prices, but Coller said the biggest cause is due to the concentration of corporations across the food system.
Fewer companies in processing, exporting and retail has created a monopolized system, Coller said, allowing a greater control over food prices by these corporations.
“Because of that retail market consolidation, the top four grocery chains control 72 per cent of the Canadian market,” Tanino said, adding that this creates less negotiating power for producers, but also for smaller or independent grocers.
Grocery chains dictate what discount outlets are allowed to bring in, Coller said. That means if Dollarama or Giant Tiger is built near a major grocery store, that corporation can restrict those stores from carrying something like fresh produce.
“They have power to restrict their competition even within the same shopping area, so that means consumers have less choice,” Coller aid.
The federal government implemented the Grocery Code of Conduct on Jan. 1, but some organizations like CIBC Capital Markets have said it’s unlikely to have a noticeable impact.
Coller’s webinar will also explore what the municipal, provincial and federal governments can do to improve the state of food security. She listed examples like putting up public land for food use, funding community food spaces and enabling Indigenous food systems.
“There is a lot of control that we do have at the local level,” Tanino said.
The webinar is being held Tuesday from 7 to 9 p.m. There’s also an online resource at gardening.usask.ca.
