Food in Canada to cost nearly $500 more in 2020, report says

#Canada'sFoodPriceReport2020; #RisingPriceOfFood; #ClimateChange; #Canada'sEconomy 

Ottawa, Dec 4 (Canadian-Media): Citing climate change as the main culprit in the rising cost of food next, Canada's Food Price Report 2020 predicted an average Canadian family to pay $487 extra for food, media reports said.

Although in the past food prices had been impacted by unexpected snowstorms, droughts and other weather events, said Simon Somogyi, lead researcher from Ontario's University of Guelph, but for 2020, he and others behind "Canada's Food Price Report 2020," highlight climate change.

"We're deliberately pointing out that, you know: climate change is causing the droughts, is causing the bad snowstorms that's impacting prices," he said, citing the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report released on Oct. 8.

Meat-eaters, vegetarians to share food price pain https://t.co/6mOigYe3yc @LangUofG @dalagriculture @ArrellFoodInst

— Simon Somogyi (@SimonSomogyiAFI) December 4, 2019

Other factors in rise of food price next year is Canada's steady inflation, high cost of Canada's importing of food, as the colder weather limits what can be grown. 

Somogyi anticipates climate change will continue to boost food prices, particularly in categories where Canada relies heavily on imports, unless big changes occur.

The federal government released a long-awaited food policy in June 2019 — the first in Canada — after starting public consultations in 2017. The policy addressed four significant areas for short- and long-term action, including: Boosting community access to healthy food; making Canadian food a top choice domestically and internationally; supporting food security in northern and Indigenous communities; and reducing food waste.

As part of the food policy, supporting vertical or indoor farming  initiatives announced could stabilize food prices, said Agriculture Canada spokesperson James Watson.

"Vertical and greenhouse production show potential for increasing food security [particularly in remote areas of Canada], decreasing transportation costs and increased health for Canadians."
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Agriculture Canada is working with others to optimize these farming systems so they can complement traditional ones, he said.