February 9 is Canada’s Food Freedom Day for 2024—falling on the same day as last year.
Agriculture producers put a great deal of time and effort into ensuring that food security is available for people across the country. Today marks the day that the average Canadian household has earned enough to pay for their entire grocery bill for the year.
Determined by the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA), the day shifts from year to year depending on many different factors—it reminds to Canadians of the value of agriculture and the hard work that goes into producing food while helping us reflect on issues such as food access, affordability, and sustainability.
CFA In 2024, CFA noted the surge in food prices due to inflation and global events over the past couple years. Agriculture producers were also seeing a rise in their production costs such as crop inputs and diesel prices—according to CFA, those prices rose nearly 100 per cent. [1]
“With food costs continuing to rise, we know that many Canadians are struggling with food security and affordability The Food Freedom Day metric show that while Canada’s food system is a world leader in providing access to affordable food, there is a large difference in impact for Canadians of different income levels, with the lowest facing a huge, increasing burden when it comes to food costs,” said Keith Currie, CFA president.
But there might be some good news this year—while food prices are still expected, the overall increase is significantly less than 2023 according to the Canada’s Food Price Report (CFPR).
The annual report is conducted in collaboration from Dalhousie University, University of Guelph, the University of Saskatchewan, and the University of British Columbia. [2]
The concept of Food Freedom Day is intended to highlight the relative affordability of food in a particular country and to raise awareness about food security issues. It's also a way to emphasize the importance of agriculture and food production to the economy.
Sources
[1] The Canadian Federation of Agriculture — Food Freedom Day is February 9, 2024
[2] Dalhousie University — Canada’s Food Price Report 2024 predicts Canadians will finally get relief from “sticker‑shock”