The Competition Bureau has announced an examination of competition across Canada’s food supply chain.
Food prices have risen sharply in recent years, putting significant pressure on Canadian households and restaurants. While many factors influence food prices, competition plays an important role in keeping prices in check and giving Canadians more choice. A 2025 poll found that 83 per cent of Canadians were being more careful about what they buy, with 81 per cent planning their meals around sales and discounts.
“The cost of food matters to all Canadians, and strong competition can help keep prices in check. Our examination builds on our earlier work in the retail grocery sector and will look at all parts of the food supply chain. If you have experience in any sector along that supply chain, we want to hear from you. Your input will help us find solutions that support competition and affordability,” said Jeanne Pratt, Interim Commissioner of Competition.
The Bureau’s examination will look for potential competition issues in three key areas:
- Production and processing, including how food is grown, caught, transformed, and packaged
- Transportation and distribution, including how food moves to retailers across Canada
- Retail pricing practices, including loyalty programs, pricing algorithms, shrinkflation, and skimpflation.
The Bureau is seeking input from Canadians and organizations with experience in the food supply chain. They are invited to share their views through our online form by July 31, 2026. The Bureau will also meet with groups and hold roundtable discussions in the coming months to determine where competition is not working well, where there are barriers, and what could help improve competition.
The Bureau will publish a final report in spring 2027, which will share findings and make recommendations to governments on how competition can be strengthened across the food supply chain.
For more information on the examination and how to participate, visit the Competition Bureau’s website. To complete the online form, visit this link.
