FOOD COST, AVAILABILITY, AND EATING LOCAL

The economics of food

Food is top-of-mind for Canadians. Food cost and availability, in particular, are leading concerns for consumers – and these are issues farmers care about too. Canadians across the country are challenged with food costs that have been increasing much more rapidly than in the past. This is called food inflation. As food gets more expensive, it means many Canadians have to make tougher choices at the grocery store. It’s not just food prices that have gone up, though. What it costs to produce food has also increased substantially. Let’s start at the farm and take a look at what factors influence the price and availability of our food – and what we can do to support local food production.

What is food security?

Farming is a critical part of Canada’s national food security. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), food security exists when people have access to enough affordable, safe and nutritious food for an active and healthy life. Farms are where it all begins, but it takes more than farms to feed a country. We also depend on a whole supply chain of animal feed, fertilizer and equipment suppliers; veterinarians and crop specialists; transporters; processors; distributors; retailers, and delivery companies to grow, produce and get food to Canadians.

Farms are where it all begins, but it takes more than farms to feed a country.