Thank you very much, Madam Chair.
I would like to thank the witnesses for being here today.
We've heard a lot of testimony on the concept of the competition and the discussions that have taken place, but I'd like to direct my question to each of the witnesses in a little different fashion.
We heard testimony a few days ago concerning workers in the food retail sector and the great job they're doing to help ensure food remains available during these unprecedented times. I think each of us has seen in the grocery stores we've gone to just how much care and consideration the workers and the companies have taken to make sure things work properly and safely, but I'd like to talk about things from just a slightly different angle when we talk about getting our food to our tables.
Certainly food retail workers play an essential role in getting this food to Canadians, which is why they're designated as essential workers. The same is true for farmers, who have also been designated essential workers. When we talk about paying a decent wage or a decent price in this sector, I think we also have to look at what the farmers get paid for the products that end up on the grocery store shelves. We know the prices of most farm products have remained at a near-constant level for many years. Mr. Lemire mentioned the salaries back in the seventies. I remember when my brother was cutting meat in the grocery store. He was making more money than I was as an entry-level teacher. The salaries haven't necessarily maintained that same level throughout.
Recently there has been a lot of talk in the media about record-high food prices, but it's clear the farmer is not the beneficiary in this regard. The link between the farm gate prices and the retail checkout is broken. What the unions are saying, and what we heard on Monday, is that just a few extra pennies on a grocery item will be adequate to compensate the workers. Now whether this is to come out of the pockets of the consumers or the retailers' bottom line is a moot point to them. I suppose if the discussion ever gets to the stage where we're going to talk about how the money comes in for the products that you have, I think we want to make sure we recognize those who produce the food as well.
Since there is this great disconnect between the consumer and those who produce the food we eat, when the media talks about the rising food prices, the public assumption is that the farmers are the ones raking in the profits. This isn't so, as we know. We remember well when the wheat prices rose dramatically and the price of bread skyrocketed. It was impossible to explain how the value of the wheat in that loaf of bread had gone up only a few cents, yet the consumers were paying dearly. If, as the unions say, it's just a few extra cents per article, maybe we could be discussing, or it's a valid time to discuss, what the actual return is that farmers get on that produce, while we're addressing prices and wages.
I really have three points that I'd appreciate your commentary on. What can we do to address the price escalations in the processing and retail side of the equation, whether they be due to COVID or just the fact that COVID costs are more dear in processing and so on, or whether that's due to the escalation of shareholder returns, just to make sure the producer is not forgotten?
Again, we've heard many stories about how difficult it is to get shelf space for local producers in the major chains. These are the products that are produced by the same folks who shop in your stores. Since it's prudent to keep our local economies viable at this time of upheaval, will you also consider modifications to these practices?
First of all, could we start with Empire?