AV俱乐部

Ukraine, Inflation, Biggest Food News Stories of 2022

Halifax, NS - As a follow-up to a very busy 2021, the year 2022 was truly filled with many food-related stories. Food was top of mind for many for the entire year. Reflecting on the last twelve months is always interesting, come December. As we do every year,聽AV俱乐部's Agri-Food Analytics Lab聽presents this year鈥檚聽top ten food news stories.

No.10 Avian Flu

Over 200 farms were impacted by the avian flu and over 4 million birds were culled because of several outbreaks we had this year. While turkey and chicken are coping, the duck industry鈥檚 recovery is uncertain. The avian flu, likely one of the most underreported food stories of the year, made poultry, meat, and eggs more expensive at the grocery store.

No.9 Cyberattacks

The year 2022 reminded us that cyberterrorism is a real threat to our food supplies. Both Sobeys and Maple Leaf Foods fell victim to a cyberattack this year. JBS Canada paid a ransom last year worth $11 million. No one knows if either Sobeys or Maple Leaf Foods paid a ransom, but we are expecting more pirating in the future. Let鈥檚 hope the food industry is ready.

No.8 Baby formula shortage

Few people knew that Canada does not produce its own baby formula or baby powder. We do have one plant in Kingston, Ontario, called Canada Royal Milk, but all its production is sent to China. Hard to believe. Parents all over the country have struggled to find formula products since early May of this year. Again, another event showing how vulnerable we can quickly become as a country when one single American plant shuts down. What a mess.

No.7 FDA鈥檚 approval of lab-grown chicken

Cultured meat is almost here. The FDA just approved cultured chicken in the United States. Once the USDA approves, the product will be commercialized in the United States. When thinking about the environment, animal welfare, epizootics and pandemics, this technology can become a game-changer in the future. Canada could be next. But if you want these products to be labelled, don鈥檛 hold your breath. And that would be wrong. Consumers have the right to know.

No.6 Lettuce recall

California is drying up, and it is increasingly becoming Canada鈥檚 problem. In the fall, leafy greens became very expensive quite suddenly, if you were lucky enough to find some. The lettuce shortage in Canada this year is yet another example of how climate change is forcing international food commerce to redefine itself.

No.5 Fertilizer mayhem

The Trudeau government wants a 30% reduction in emissions by 2030, which doesn鈥檛 necessarily include fertilizer, but producers claim that reducing nitrous oxide emissions cannot be achieved without reducing fertilizer use. This policy came to light this year. Ottawa wants an absolute reduction of emissions, regardless of productivity or efficiency of fertilizer use. For many crops, our farmers鈥� ability to grow anything will be severely compromised, unless they use more land. This is yet another example of how urban politics is driving agri-food policies these days.

No.4 Ottawa鈥檚 new front-of-package labelling rule

Health Canada announced in June that it is going forward with a policy requiring front-of-package nutrition symbols on foods high in saturated fat, sugars, and sodium. It鈥檚 a concept that will provide clear, easy-to-read labels. Manufacturers have until January 1 2026 to change their labels and comply with the new requirement. This new rule sparked the well-known phrase 鈥淒on鈥檛 label my beef鈥� since Ottawa intended to label single-ingredient products like ground meat, potentially becoming the first country in the world to do so. Ottawa did change its mind at the last minute. This new rule will coax manufacturers to make healthier products as it creates a leveled playing field for all companies. Smart move by Ottawa.

No.3 Blockades

Chrystia Freeland was right. Blockades did impact Canada鈥檚 reputation in the United States and may have given Americans yet another excuse to support their America First policies. Several blockades across the country halted trades between Canada and the United States. The Ambassador Bridge, the busiest international land crossing between the United States and Canada, was closed February 7 to February 13. Between $8 billion and $12 billion in agri-food crosses the Ambassador Bridge in both directions each year. Not a great moment for our country.

No.2 The food inflation blaming game

Inflation was top of mind for everyone this year. The fact that Canada has one of the lowest food inflation rate in the Western world did not matter (second lowest within G7). From a parliamentary investigation to our Competition Bureau鈥檚 study on profits in the grocery industry, many Canadians have grown to be critical of the grocery industry, trying to find a scapegoat for our food affordability challenges. The industry felt the pressure from 鈥済reedflation鈥� campaigns this year. It even got Loblaw to implement the largest price freeze policy in the world for a grocer until the end of January 2023. Even though is it important for policymakers and regulators to understand what鈥檚 going on, there鈥檚 no evidence of profiteering in food retail. But doubts persist.

No.1 Ukraine

How can Ukraine not be this year鈥檚 top story? When the country was cruelly invaded by Russia on February 24, many Canadians didn鈥檛 realize how that region of the world was so critical to the global agri-food sector. With its exports, Ukraine can feed 400 million people every year. Russia鈥檚 exports, hit by sanctions, are also critical. A few months after the invasion, many commodities reached record price levels. By June, processors had to pay more for inputs which eventually affected the entire globe鈥檚 food inflation scenario. Fertilizer access was also impacted. Let鈥檚 hope 2023 brings a peaceful end to the horrors the Ukrainian people have suffered.

The year 2022 was interesting to say the least. We should hope that the year 2023 will bring more peace and health to the world, including Canadians.

Media Contacts:

Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, Director Agri-Food Analytics Lab,
AV俱乐部
sylvain.charlebois@dal.ca

Janet Music, Research Program Coordinator
Agri-Food Analytics Lab,
AV俱乐部
janet.music@dal.ca