Food prices are going up – but they’d be even higher without tools like pesticides and plant breeding

Canadians are increasingly concerned about the cost of food, and understandably so. Rising food costs have dominated the news cycle lately as a perfect storm of squeezed supply chains, significant weather challenges and other factors sent the price of some foods soaring in the last year.

The recently released Canada’s Food Price Report 2022 predicts a five to seven per cent rise in food costs, which is an average of about $966 a year more spent on food for a family of four compared to 2021. Recent research by the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity showed the rising cost of food was the top concern for 61 per cent of Canadian respondents. And even before the COVID-19 crisis hit, one in eight Canadian households were reported as food insecure. This means more than four million Canadians do not have adequate access to the food they need.

While some of the factors impacting food prices are headline making news, the story of the science and innovation that is helping make sure we don’t have even bigger spikes in food prices doesn’t get a lot of attention. CropLife Canada recently commissioned a report to look at the contributions of plant science innovations in Canada when it comes to the environment, the economy and our communities – including their impact on food affordability. The results show that without pesticides and plant breeding innovations prices would be 45 per cent higher on average for many food staples – that’s an average of $4,500 a year more per Canadian household’s grocery bill.

But how, exactly, do plant science innovations help make food more affordable? Part of it comes from being able to protect crops against insects, weeds and diseases. Farmers globally contend with 30,000 species of weeds, 3,000 types of diseases and 10,000 species of plant-eating insects. When pests go unchecked, they can destroy entire crops and can lead to unthinkable levels of food waste. Here in Canada farmers have access to a range of safe and effective pesticides, evaluated by Health Canada, to protect their crops – and our food supply.

But food loss and waste don’t end in the field of course, they go all the way through the value chain. Through biotechnology, scientists have been able to develop new varieties of crops that have longer shelf lives and result in less waste. Non-browning apples and potatoes are already on the market today. Less bruised product during harvest, transport and storage that ultimately turns into waste means more potatoes and apples for consumers at the end of the day. Through gene editing, scientists are also working on developing more robust varieties of crops like strawberries to help cut back on food waste both at the grocery store and on consumers’ plates.

In agriculture, like in any business, efficiency is of the utmost importance. Both pesticides and the technologies used to develop improved seeds help farmers get the most out of the land they grow on to maximize efficiency. In fact, plant science innovations have driven a 50 per cent increase in crop productivity over the last century. From a sustainability perspective, growing more crop using the same or less resources is a good thing. And it’s also a win for consumers as gains in efficiency – essentially doing more with less – help to ensure a stable supply of affordable foods.

But climate change poses a significant threat to the food supply both here in Canada and around the world. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has outlined some of the challenges of climate change, most notably that an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, such as droughts, violent storms, and floods could end up reducing crop yields by up to 50 per cent. We saw some of these extremes in different parts of our own country just last year.

Plant science innovations have an important role to play in helping to mitigate the impacts of climate change on the food supply. For example, through gene editing researchers are developing varieties of crops that are more tolerant to heat, drought and salinity. Giving farmers access to the tools they need to continue to grow safe, healthy and abundant crops in the midst of constantly changing climate conditions will be critical to helping to keep food costs affordable.

Rising food prices are likely to continue to be top of mind for Canadians, along with the ongoing fight against COVID-19 in 2022. In both cases, science has a critical role to play. When it comes to food production, the plant science sector will continue to do its part to minimize the burden of food costs by bringing agricultural innovations to market that help prevent crop loss and food waste, while increasing production and quality, all while combating the long-term effects of climate change. As we begin a new year, let’s remember how lucky we are to live in Canada where modern agriculture is playing its part to keep food prices down.

I’d encourage you to watch this Real Farm Lives video to learn more about how what farmers do at the farm level helps keep food affordable for Canadians.

And to learn more about how plant science innovations contribute to food affordability – as well as their contributions to sustainability and the economy – visit helpingcanadagrow.ca.

Pierre Petelle
President and CEO, CropLife Canada