The Canadian Federation of Agriculture calculates that today is Food Freedom Day.
It's the day that the average Canadian will have earned enough income to pay for the grocery bill for the entire year.
In 2015, Canadians spent 11% of their disposable income on food, compared to 10.4% in 2014.
Rising food costs this year has pushed Food Freedom Day three days later than last year's date. Still, Canadians enjoy some of the lowest food costs in the world, consistently ranking in the top five for cheapest food costs worldwide.
But according to the Food Price Report 2016, which was published by the Food Institute at the University of Guelph following a comprehensive study on Canadian food costs, food prices increased by 4.1% during 2015. The prime reason was the low Canadian dollar, which has had a profound impact on imported food products, particularly fruits, vegetables and nuts, which are highly susceptible to market fluctuations.
The report outlines food prices are expected to be most affected by climate change, the weakening Canadian dollar, and consumer trends. Food Freedom Day serves as an opportunity to consider an individual's role and the impact each has on the Canadian food system, whether that be as a consumer, farmer, processor or retailer.
"There are plenty of reasons why we encourage consumers to buy Canadian," explains CFA President Ron Bonnett. "Domestically produced food does not face the same exchange rate increase we have been seeing with imported products. By understanding the Canadian products that are available each season, consumers can contribute to Canada's food security while also keeping their family's food bill down."
Choosing Canadian products at the grocery store is an incredibly important role Canadian consumers have in supporting farmers and our food system here at home. The grocery store purchases of consumers provide market data for retailers, who then determine what products will fill their shelves.
This produces a ripple effect that is felt right down to the farm level.
