Thank you, Mr. Chair and committee members. I would like to thank the committee for inviting me again.
Canada's food inflation has exceeded our inflation rate for 13 straight months now. While some Canadians are coping, many are struggling. Within the G7, Canada currently has the third-lowest food inflation rate, at 10.8%, in food retail. Only Japan and France have lower food inflation rates right now, but that doesn't help families here in Canada. Almost 8% of Canadians are now skipping meals due to higher food prices. Nearly 24% of Canadians are simply buying less food, according to a recent report we just released. Of that group, almost 70% are women, which likely means that many Canadians are making daily dietary compromises due to food inflation.
As a result, accusations of gouging in the food industry have reached an all-time high. According to a recent survey, almost 80% of Canadians believe food corporations are taking advantage of the inflationary cycle to increase prices. It's not just in retail. Both Quebec and British Columbia have class action lawsuits against the beef industry, and now many groups are asking the federal government to investigate.
We have investigated this matter ourselves in groceries, with the help and support of three colleagues of mine: Samantha Taylor, Stacey Taylor and Janet Music. The fact remains that any evidence of “greedflation” in food retail in Canada is weak at best.
That said, some prices in some categories have behaved unreasonably in recent years, in animal proteins in particular. Accepting that “greedflation” exists and accusing companies of being abusive, though, is the easy part. Where it gets challenging is to set thresholds. How much is too much? Is it 4%? Is it 5% or 10%? Where should the line be? A potential code of conduct for grocers and vendors could make things easier for government to access and provide some oversight if the proper governance is implemented.
Assessing Canada's food affordability situation will also be key moving forward. Regarding food affordability, one index does exist around the world. It's called the global food security index. It's made up of a set of indices from more than 120 countries. Since 2012, the index has been based on four main pillars: food access, safety, sustainable development and food affordability. Again, Canada ranked well this year, seventh globally.
Where Canada's performance is of some concern is in food affordability. This measure is dedicated to consumers' ability to purchase food, their vulnerability to price shocks and the presence of programs and policies to support consumers when shocks occur. Canada fell one spot again this year to number 25 in the world. Australia, Singapore and Holland topped the list in food affordability. Given the resources and food access we have in Canada, we should do better.
Higher food prices at grocery stores over the past year have been difficult for many of us to accept. Canada needs a food autonomy policy to make our food economy less vulnerable to macro events, with a stronger food-processing sector and better logistics domestically as well.
The key to greater food self-sufficiency in Canada is a strong and robust processing sector. Processing remains the most important strategic cornerstone of any food chain. It is much easier to support Canadian farmers and to engage in innovation in order to satisfy the needs of Canadians.
Buy local policies are also important and should be made a priority in Canada. For instance, in our province, Quebec, what Aliments du Québec has done should serve as a model for the rest of Canada. Over time, efforts to promote local products have resulted in greater demand for Quebec-made products, allowing for economies of scale. Some Quebec farmers may wish to sell their products outside the province, in markets where consumers most certainly want a little piece of Quebec on their plates.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.