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Is Big Brother Pricing Your Groceries?

Surveillance Pricing. It sounds ominous, doesn’t it? It sounds like Big Brother is pricing your groceries. It’s getting a lot of attention from politicians who are saying the practice should be banned. It’s worth thinking a bit about what it is and whether it would work in a grocery context.

Mike von Massow

Sep 3010 min read

What Causes Food Price Increases - Beef and Anchovy Biology is a Factor in Supply

Mike von Massow

Jul 155 min read

From Tomatoes to Ice Cream: Food Inflation in the News

Fresh vegetable prices went up 4.3% in May and are up 7.2% for the year. The biggest increase was tomatoes that went up 8.4% in the month and 45.2% for the year.

Mike von Massow

Jun 265 min read

PM Mark Carney Announcing the New Food Security Strategy

A Good Start but Not a Quick Fix: What Canada’s New Food Security Strategy Really Means

But if we’re asking the simple question—will this reduce food prices for consumers in the near term?—the answer is much less clear.

Mike von Massow

Jun 155 min read

The cottage cheese "shortage" isn't really a shortage.

The cottage cheese “shortage” isn’t really a shortage. It’s what happens when a product suddenly becomes popular, demand moves faster than the system can respond, and supply needs time to catch up. The system isn’t broken. It’s adjusting.

Mike von Massow

May 263 min read

Food Inflation I: Does Canada Really Have the Highest Food Inflation in the G7?

it is probably more accurate to say that Canada had, for a short period, the highest food inflation in the G7, but that it was largely due to the GST tax holiday at the end of 2024 and beginning of 2025.

Mike von Massow

May 235 min read

Impact of Carbon Tax on Food Price: Insights from Food Focus Guelph

carbon tax is not making any significant contribution to food prices in Canada

Mike von Massow

Mar 214 min read

The Bad, The Good, and the Interesting: Reflecting on Parliament's Report on Food Affordability

The Parliamentary Report on Food Affordability came out after the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food held hearings earlier...

Mike von Massow

Jul 3, 20235 min read

RELATED PROJECTS

Considering the complexity of food, it is no surprise that conversations about it can be broad and diverse. In order to better understand how people think about food, Mike is involved in several projects. Learn more about each project below.

UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH SUSTAINABLE RESTAURANT PROJECT

Our team is a group of students, faculty and community partners that are committed to working towards a more sustainable future for the restaurant industry. Every year we hold a forum, bringing prominent speakers to the University of Guelph to discuss issues in the Canadian Restaurant Industry.

Learn More

foodFOCUS

Discuss, Challenge, Learn.

BLOG

Keep up with the conversation here.

Is Big Brother Pricing Your Groceries?

What Causes Food Price Increases - Beef and Anchovy Biology is a Factor in Supply

From Tomatoes to Ice Cream: Food Inflation in the News

A Good Start but Not a Quick Fix: What Canada’s New Food Security Strategy Really Means

The cottage cheese "shortage" isn't really a shortage.

Food Inflation I: Does Canada Really Have the Highest Food Inflation in the G7?

Impact of Carbon Tax on Food Price: Insights from Food Focus Guelph

The Bad, The Good, and the Interesting: Reflecting on Parliament's Report on Food Affordability

RELATED PROJECTS

Considering the complexity of food, it is no surprise that conversations about it can be broad and diverse. In order to better understand how people think about food, Mike is involved in several projects. Learn more about each project below.

UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH SUSTAINABLE RESTAURANT PROJECT