Canadian families will pay nearly $1K more for groceries in 2022, report says

Food prices in Canada are expected to reach record highs next year.

Canada’s food price report predicts the average family of four will pay $966 more for food in 2022 — a total annual grocery bill of nearly $15,000.

“It is a crisis on a crisis,” said Neil Hetherington, CEO at the Daily Bread Food Bank.

The estimate would mark a 7 per cent rise compared to this year and would be the biggest year-to-year jump ever predicted in the 12 years of the annual report.

“The era of cheap food has ended,” said Sylvain Charlebois, lead author and Dalhousie University professor of food distribution and policy. “Prices have been increasing since 2010 and the pandemic accelerated that trend.”

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The Report cites supply chain disruptions, labour market issues and adverse weather events as some of the key drivers attributed to the surging prices.

Dairy prices and restaurant menus will see the biggest rise — both are expected to see price increases of six to eight per cent.

“Grocers are anecdotally reporting an uptick in theft, particularly of items such as meat, cheese, over-the-counter medication and energy drinks,” the report said.

Hetherington says November 2021 marked the highest number of clients that attended food banks in Toronto.

“When you add what the Consumer Price Index is doing to an already strained system, it’s unconscionable,” said Hetherington. “We know the solutions to stop food insecurity, it’s around income and affordable housing. And those are thing from a systemic basis that we need to change.”

Several provinces are expected to see higher than average food inflation rates in 2022, including Alberta, B.C., Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario and Saskatchewan, the report said.

With files from the Canadian Press