The majority of respondents to a cross-Canada poll released on Monday said they used coupons or sought sales to cope with rising food prices. Nearly 20% also reduced the size of meals or skipped meals altogether in order to save money.
The survey by the Canadian Center for Applied and Social Research at the University of Saskatchewan was conducted from September 6 to October 17. She surveyed 1,001 people to find out their strategies for coping with rising food costs.
According to Statistics Canada’s latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) report, while the country’s annual inflation rate edged down to 6.9% in September, food costs continued to climb . Grocery prices rose at the fastest pace since August 1981, up 11.4% from a year ago.
By adapting to soaring costs, nearly 59% of respondents said they were reducing their household food waste.
Fifty-four percent also made meal plans to ensure they had enough funds to eat.
Disturbing strategies were less common but still too prevalent, said Jessica McCutcheon, associate director of the research center. Thus, just over 30% of respondents said they ate less healthy food because it was cheaper. Almost 5% had stolen food out of necessity and about 5% had used a food bank or community refrigerator.
A recent report from Food Banks Canada indicates that there were nearly 1.5 million visits to food banks in March, a figure 15% higher than the number of visits during the same month last year and higher 35% off March 2019 visits, before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
The survey found that people in the Prairie provinces were much more likely to have used emergency measures for food. “Alberta and Saskatchewan have some of the highest rates of food bank use in Canada,” McCutcheon said.
The survey clarified that young people between the ages of 18 and 34 were more likely to have used a food bank or a community refrigerator. They were also less likely to think they could afford a balanced diet. Those aged 35 to 54 were more likely to have used coupons or purchased items on sale.
Quebec had the biggest difference from the Prairies, with 95% of respondents saying they could afford a balanced diet. Jessica McCutcheon points out that this may be because Quebec has a stronger social safety net with its policies.
The survey asked about government strategies to deal with food insecurity. Most supported increased funding for community gardens, food banks and the implementation of a universal healthy eating program in schools. They also approved grocery subsidies for low-income households and government support for farmers and producers.
Just over 79% of respondents were in favor of raising the minimum wage in their province. However, there was opposition to strategies that saw an increase or creation of taxes.
Quebecers have said they support an increase in the minimum wage, a tax on sugar and an increase in penalties on carbon emissions. Those in the Prairies were much more likely to oppose these taxes.
Researchers said the survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1%, 19 times out of 20, nationwide.