Food

As we enter a new year, it’s important to recall the year that was. With so much information coming and going through various channels, taking a moment to reflect on the major agricultural stories of 2025 can help move us into 2026.

“In Canada, because of a lack of competition, grocery chains were able to fully pass on cost increases to customers, keeping their margins stable and earning higher dollar profits over a now larger cost base,” Bester explained in an email.

Now, as U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs take effect, experts warn that grocery prices in Canada could once again spike. It’s worth noting that stabilizing prices won’t undo the price hikes Canadians had already endured, said Keldon Bester from the Canadian Anti-Monopoly Project.

The price of food keeps rising. And for the last few years, we’ve had a national debate about whether or not that’s the fault of the mega grocery chains. But the CEOs of Loblaws, Metro and Sobeys claim that it’s not their fault. We should be looking further up the food chain for the real culprits.

In Canada, McCain Foods has even more dominance over the potato market, says Keldon Bester, executive director of the Canadian Anti-Monopoly Project, a think tank advocating for more competitive forces in the market.

The Agenda with Steve Paikin discusses a new report from the Canadian Anti-Monopoly Project that argues Canada’s food system is being undermined by monopoly. And while grocery stores have become an easy target for consumer anger over the cost of food, this report says consolidation has occurred at all levels of the supply chain. The Agenda looks at the implications of the report.