Soaring beef prices in 2025 and anticipatory rises in chicken prices for the coming year has food advocates worrying about how vulnerable Canadians will fill their plate and experts pointing to the ‘anemic’ nature of the food manufacturing industry.

The Canada Food Price Report 2026, released on Friday by the Agri-Food analytics lab, headed by Dr. Sylvain Charlebois found that food prices will increase by four per cent to six per cent with the average family of four expected to spend $17,571.79 on food in 2026.

Meat prices increased at a faster rated than predicted in the 2025 report, with price of beef soaring by a 19 per cent increase in the first quarter of the year alone. Subsequently, the consumer shift to chicken could lead to higher poultry costs in 2026, expected to last until at

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