Food prices climbed during the second year of the pandemic and climate disasters contributed
News Source: CTV News
Jan 27, 2022
“We’re seeing an increased pattern of impacts to production that are currently impacting the capacity of farmers to produce food and this will only get more challenging as we move forward.” – Dr. Sean Smukler
Dr. Sean Smukler, CSFS Associate and chair of agriculture and environment at UBC, spoke with CTV News about how the extreme weather conditions in 2021 impacted food production and subsequent inflation of food prices. Statistics Canada reported that food prices in Canada increased to a decade high, following record-breaking heat, severe drought and devastating floods last year. Dr. Smukler says we’re seeing what climate scientists have long predicted becoming reality, and as the food supply continues to be affected, the markets will react accordingly. Smukler goes on to state that this is just a “taste of what is to come” and advises the development of strategies to improve farmer resilience to weather volatility, reduction of greenhouse gases, and commitment to the Paris Agreement on climate change are crucial next steps.