Inflation causes Food Freedom Day to be delayed compared to last year

This is Food Freedom Day.

Each year the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) calculates the date when a Canadian household of average income will have earned enough to pay for their entire year’s grocery bill.

CFA examines the proportion of income that Canadians spend on food as a way to explore year-over-year expenditure changes and raise consumers’ understanding of Canada’s food system, from Farm-Gate-to-Plate.

Canadians spent 11 per cent of their disposable income on food last year, which is slightly higher than the 10.7 per cent spent on food in 2021. That makes Food Freedom Day one day later in 2022.

Higher diesel and fertilizer prices are squeezing farm profit margins ahead of the midterm elections. Farmers in Iowa and Kansas discuss rising harvest costs, the war in Iran and whether those pressures will change their votes. Peter Tubbs reports on the debate over farm input costs and the differing political responses across the Corn Belt.