An increase in the price of food is forcing some needy Montrealers to seek help.
A study by the University of Guelph showed food prices in stores rose by 4.1 per cent this year, which was significantly above inflation.
This means the average Canadian household likely paid $325 more for food. Next year that’s expected to rise to $345 more.
The exchange rate is part of the problem, explained Sylvain Charlebois, co-author of the Food Price Report.
“Of all the fruits and vegetable we consume, 80 per cent are imported, which makes both fruits and vegetables highly vulnerable to currency fluctuations,” he said.
Esposito grocery store manager George El Hage said he hears complaints daily.
“People are complaining a lot about the price, people are feeling everything is higher,” he said.
The NDG Food Depot said it is feeling the strain as well.
“With the higher cost of food, we can purchase less food for the amount of money we receive,” said the depot’s director Daniel Rotman.
Its emergency basket program is up by 16 per cent, and food prices could play a role.
“These higher food prices probably have an impact on whether people can use this as a temporary measure or how often they have to come to get enough food to survive for a year,” he said.
While it’s been a tough year, the Guelph study predicts next year will also be difficult, with a 2 to 4 per cent overall increase:
Climate change will remain one of the most significant and unpredictable influences on food prices, with the 2016 El Nino predicted to be one of the strongest on record.
