Ministers Champagne and MacAulay engage provincial and territorial counterparts to stabilize food prices for Canadian consumers

December 11, 2023 – Ottawa, Ontario 

Today, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, and the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, met with provincial and territorial counterparts to discuss the next steps in the Government of Canada’s efforts to stabilize food prices across the country.

As part of the meeting, the Competition Bureau shared the results of its market study ꟷ Canada Needs More Grocery Competition ꟷ including recommendations for all levels of government to meaningfully improve competition in the grocery industry. Examples of these recommendations include taking steps to encourage greater competition through the entry of international grocers, the growth of independent players and the introduction of accessible and harmonized unit pricing. Minister Champagne took this opportunity to also outline the proposed upcoming changes to Canadian competition law included in Bill C-56 and the Fall Economic Statement.

For his part, Minister MacAulay provided an update on the status of the industry-led Grocery Sector Code of Conduct. The Code is seen as a substantial measure to bring fairness, transparency and stability to our grocery sector and supply chain. Following over two years of industry negotiations and missed deadlines, Ministers MacAulay and Champagne are extremely disappointed that some supply chain partners, including two of the five major retailers, have indicated that they will not sign on to the Code. The Government of Canada continues to explore all available options and requested that the provinces and territories do so as well.

Minister Champagne and Minister MacAulay underscored the need for greater cooperation between Ottawa and the provinces to help fight food inflation.  With their provincial and territorial counterparts, they agreed to meet again in the new year to explore all options at their disposal to help stabilize food prices.

Associated links

• Minister Champagne reports on the initial commitments from the five largest grocers to stabilize food prices
• Minister Champagne calls on international food processors to take action to stabilize food prices for Canadian consumers
• Minister Champagne calls on Canada’s five largest grocery chains to take action to stabilize retail prices for consumers
• Fighting for the middle class