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National Observer
a day ago
- Business
- National Observer
Canada's Conservatives can't quit their grocery price politicking
For the better part of the last three years, Conservative politicians blamed rising food prices on the federal carbon tax. Elect them, they promised voters, and they'd eliminate the dreaded policy and the pressure it was putting on household budgets. Never mind, for the moment, that all objective assessments of the issue showed that the carbon tax had a negligible impact on food prices — just 0.8 per cent according to a 2024 paper by University of Calgary economists Jennifer Winters and Trevor Tombe. For Conservatives, the lie was just too politically powerful to give up. They still haven't let it go, even after Mark Carney repealed the consumer carbon tax on the way to winning April's election. Now, their focus is on the federal Clean Fuel Standard, a policy that requires refiners to gradually lower the carbon intensity of gasoline and diesel — and will increase their cost by anywhere from 6 to 17 cents per litre, depending on estimates, by the end of the decade. 'The Liberal government is again burdening farmers and producers with expensive fuel taxes while pretending Canadians won't notice the rising costs at the grocery store,' Conservative agriculture critic John Barlow said recently in a statement. If federal climate policy was actually driving up grocery prices you'd see a meaningful divergence in food price inflation between Canada and the United States, where there has never been a carbon tax. Instead, American consumers are feeling the same inflationary pressures as we are, ones that helped elect Donald Trump last November. It's the same story in Europe and the United Kingdom, where rising grocery prices are also a problem that Canada's carbon tax — or, sure, Clean Fuel Standard — can't explain. But, then, it's never actually been about explaining the real root cause of food price inflation for Canada's Conservative politicians and pundits. Instead, it's about keeping their voters angry at the government. In their apparently limitless zeal for falsely correlating food prices and federal policy, Barlow and his Conservative colleagues are ignoring the fact that Clean Fuel Standard creates meaningful economic opportunities for businesses that produce biofuel feedstocks like corn, wheat, barley, and canola — you know, farmers. That's because, more than anything, they need their own voters to ignore what's actually driving up their grocery bills: climate change. The role of climate change in driving up prices isn't a secret to anyone who actually pays attention to the data, never mind the cost of things like olive oil, chocolate and coffee beans, but it's worth reiterating all the same. A recent study led by the Barcelona Supercomputing Center shows that global spikes in the cost of staples like potatoes, rice, onions, lettuce and fruit are linked to rising incidences of extreme heat, drought and rainfall. As the Wall Street Journal 's Joseph Hoppe noted in his story on the report, 'vegetable prices in California and Arizona jumped 80 per cent on year in November, 2022 after extreme drought, while Ethiopian food prices rose 40 per cent in March 2023 following a drought the year prior.' As lead scientist Maximillian Kotz said during a recent media briefing, 'What we found is very strong evidence that abnormally high temperatures drive increases in the price of food and overall inflation, and that therefore, under future climate change, with heat extremes intensifying, we're going to be expecting to see more and more of these kind of increases in consumer price indexes.' That's not just bad for household budgets here in Canada. Rising prices and growing scarcity will create opportunities for scapegoating and demagoguery in food-insecure parts of the world, where the impact of climate change is already felt most acutely. As University of Texas research professor Raj Patel told the National Post 's Laura Brehaut, you can draw a straight line between bread riots in Mozambique in 2010 and the wildfires in Russia that decimated its major agricultural regions. 'These are the kinds of arcs that we need to be looking for when we understand climate change,' Patel said. 'Because climate change isn't just, 'Oh, it's hot outside.' Climate change is always freighted with a political valence.' Climate change is a far bigger contributor to food price inflation than federal climate policies in Canada. At some point, even the most blinkered Conservative partisan is going to have to face up to this politically inconvenient truth. In some respects, it could probably stand to be freighted with even more political valence in Canada right now. Yes, we have more pressing near-term concerns to deal with, whether it's Donald Trump's repeated threats or the consequences they will have on jobs and investment in our economy. Maslow's hierarchy of needs still abides, and it informs our politics to an extent that is not properly appreciated. But with its growing impact on day-to-day concerns like food prices, extreme weather, and rising insurance costs, climate change is moving down that hierarchy at record speed. At some point, the political cost of ignoring those concerns will become so great that even anti-climate Conservatives will have to start taking them seriously.
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First Post
22-07-2025
- Business
- First Post
Are your grocery bills rising? Barcelona researchers say they have found the reason
Have your grocery bills gone up? Besides the local inflation trends, researchers now point to a more potent disruptor — climate change — that is making your plate more expensive read more Consumers around the world may not realise that their rising grocery bills have less to do with local inflation or supply chain issues and more to do with extreme weather conditions globally. A new study from the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, in collaboration with the European Central Bank, points to climate change as a critical driver of food price increases across continents. The research team traced spikes in food costs sometimes by hundreds of percent to weather patterns that are becoming more frequent and intense. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Rather than isolated incidents, the researchers described these price shocks as directly linked to 16 extreme weather events between 2022 and 2024. The analysis, which appeared in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Research Letters, emphasised that many of these events were statistically unprecedented in their regions. Max Kotz, the lead author and a postdoctoral fellow, noted that events like heatwaves, floods and droughts are now pushing agricultural systems beyond their limits. A global phenomenon with local consequences Across the globe, basic food items have surged in price following disruptive weather events. In the United States, vegetable prices soared more than 80 percent after California endured its driest three-year period ever recorded. The Bloomberg reported that nearly a million acres of farmland were left unplanted, causing crop losses of nearly $2 billion. Arizona's reduced water supply from the Colorado River compounded the crisis, while Hurricane Ian disrupted Florida's harvests. In Eastern Australia, record-breaking floods in early 2022 triggered a lettuce shortage that pushed prices up by more than 300 percent. The retail cost of iceberg lettuce skyrocketed from around A$2.80 to A$12. Some fast-food outlets even resorted to substituting cabbage in burgers to maintain menus. Similar trends were seen in Asia, where scorching heat reaching 115°F (46.1°C) led to a 40 per cent rise in Chinese vegetable prices over just three months. In South Korea, napa cabbage, vital for making kimchi — became 70 per cent more expensive. Local reports described government efforts to release national cabbage stocks to stabilise the market. Climate inflation: A persistent threat? While food prices often stabilise after temporary spikes, the researchers cautioned that climate-driven price hikes could become more routine. The authors suggested that El Nino patterns between 2023 and 2024 may have intensified certain weather extremes, but emphasised that the broader trend is one of increasing volatility. Kotz explained that price responses tend to materialise within one to two months after a climate event, especially when heat or drought significantly lowers output. While economists have pointed out that food prices often normalise as higher prices incentivise greater production, this cycle may not hold for all crops. For instance, commodities like coffee and beef are geographically limited, meaning that prices stay elevated longer and are more vulnerable to recurring disruptions. A compound effect on households and central banks These climate-linked price hikes are more than just inconvenient — they carry major implications for household budgets and monetary policy. According to the nonprofit Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, British households paid an additional £361 (approximately $484) for food in 2022 and 2023 due to climate-related factors. This figure highlights how vulnerable everyday consumers are to forces far beyond their control. With central banks around the world working to tame inflation, the unpredictable nature of climate-driven food prices poses a serious challenge. Kotz and his colleagues stressed that unless systemic changes are made, these shocks will continue to impact both consumer affordability and economic stability. The wider web of climate impacts on agriculture A broader look at climate change's effects on food prices reveals an interconnected series of pressures. Rising temperatures and changing precipitation patterns reduce crop yields, while unpredictable growing seasons disrupt harvest timing. Water scarcity, a growing concern in regions like the American Southwest, limits irrigation and further diminishes supply. The resurgence of crop pests and plant diseases under warmer climates can force farmers to increase pesticide use, raising production costs. Meanwhile, extreme temperatures also affect livestock, reducing milk yields and increasing mortality rates further driving up the cost of meat and dairy products. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Infrastructure-related issues, like increased fuel prices or transportation disruptions due to weather events, add another layer of inflationary pressure. Even regulatory responses to climate change — such as stricter environmental rules or new tariffs — can raise operational costs that trickle down to the consumer. What can be done? The Barcelona study recommends a combination of early warning systems, agricultural adaptation strategies like improved irrigation, and robust government policies to mitigate food insecurity. However, the authors cautioned that even well-designed responses have limitations. Ultimately, the researchers suggested that the only long-term solution lies in addressing the root of the problem — greenhouse gas emissions. Without a concerted global effort to curb warming, extreme weather will continue to strain food production systems. As Stevenson pointed out, additional complications like tariffs can make it difficult for producers to balance domestic and export markets, especially for high-cost items like beef. He warned that future policy missteps could further strain an already fragile system. A new normal in the aisles For many consumers, the link between a heatwave in Asia or a drought in Arizona and the rising cost of a lettuce head may not be immediately obvious. But as the evidence mounts, researchers are urging governments and the public to recognise that climate change is not just an environmental issue — it's an economic one. Whether shopping in Barcelona, Beijing or Boston, grocery bills are increasingly influenced by forces in the sky and sea. Unless climate trends are reversed, experts say, the price of food will likely continue its upward climb. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Los Angeles Times
21-07-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
How climate change is raising your grocery bill
A 300% spike in Australian lettuce prices. A 50% rise for European olive oil and 80% for U.S. vegetables. Researchers from the Barcelona Supercomputing Center and the European Central Bank have traced back those price jumps to extreme weather they say is linked to climate change. The group analyzed 16 weather events around the world between 2022 and 2024. Many were so unusual that a given region had experienced nothing like it prior to 2020, according to the analysis, which was published Monday in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Research Letters. 'Unprecedented conditions are set to become increasingly common across the world,' the study's authors said. 'At the same time, new records for extreme conditions will continue to be set, further from those to which agricultural production and economic systems are currently adapted.' Climate change brings with it higher temperatures and extreme rains, which can lower yields and make the crops that are harvested more expensive. British households' food bill, for instance, was about $484 more in 2022 and 2023 due to climate change, according to estimates by the nonprofit Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit. (ECIU staffer Tom Lancaster was a co-author of the new study.) Consumers globally say they are feeling the effects of climate change on their grocery bills, making food unaffordable for some and posing a challenge for central bankers trying to tame inflation. Here are a few of the price hikes the researchers identified: In 2022, California registered its driest three-year period ever recorded, leaving nearly a million acres of farm fields unplanted and producing initial crop revenue losses of nearly $2 billion that year alone. Arizona, which grows most of the country's winter lettuce supply, also saw reductions in the amount of water the state received from the Colorado River, due to a drought-related water shortage in the river basin. These conditions in two major U.S. agricultural states, paired with Hurricane Ian hitting Florida, contributed to a more than 80% hike in the country's vegetable prices compared with the previous year. A heat wave that warmed Asia last year to temperatures as high as 115 degrees Fahrenheit was one of the disruptive weather events that led to vegetable prices in China rising more than 40% between June and September. Hot and dry conditions also left South Korean cabbages nearly 70% more expensive than the year prior, according to local media reports. Napa cabbage is commonly pickled into kimchi, a staple local dish, and the government has utilized national stocks to bolster supplies. Eastern Australia faced record-breaking extreme flooding in early 2022, which was soon estimated to be Australia's costliest ever flood and its fifth most costly disaster. A resulting lettuce shortage led shoppers to complain about prices of around $7.81 for a head of iceberg lettuce. The Guardian reported that was a more than 300% price increase. Fast food chain KFC even began substituting in cabbage in its burgers. Prices tend to respond as soon as one or two months after an instance of extreme heat or drought, said Max Kotz, the study's lead author and a postdoctoral fellow at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center. He and the other authors also looked at how unusual weather events were for each region, based on the distribution of measures such as temperature over time. They found that heat, drought and floods were occurring at an increased intensity and frequency. El Niño, a climate pattern that occurred from 2023 to 2024, likely also influenced the extreme weather observed, the authors said. These kinds of food price shocks typically turn out to be short-term in nature, because high prices incentivize more production, which brings prices back down, said Andrew Stevenson, a senior climate analyst for Bloomberg Intelligence. Products such as coffee and cattle are the exception, because they require certain conditions such as a tropical climate or large swathes of land for grazing that limit where they can be grown and bred. Coffee and cattle futures, contracts that represent near-term pricing in those markets, have marched up in price since 2020 — in contrast with futures for a crop such as corn that's more easily grown. New U.S. tariffs could further squeeze farmers abroad, Stevenson said. 'It puts producers in an uncomfortable position where the price of beef is too expensive to sell at home but not expensive enough to sell with a 50% tariff,' he added. Extreme weather is only expected to continue, and the study recommends that countries consider policies that will help consumers manage rising food prices. Ultimately, though, slashing greenhouse gas emissions and containing global warming will be key to reducing food price inflation risks, the authors said. Climate forecasts can also provide early warnings, and farms can implement adaptations such as irrigation, though both approaches have serious limitations. Court writes for Bloomberg.
Wall Street Journal
21-07-2025
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
Extreme Weather Is Driving Global Food-Price Spikes, Report Says
Extreme weather events are driving short-term surges in food prices around the world. Staple foods—including potatoes, rice, onions, lettuce and fruit—are being hit by price shocks, according to a study led by the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, Spain. The spikes are often linked to heat, drought and heavy rainfall conditions that in some cases exceed historical precedent prior to 2020, the report said.
Time of India
21-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Climate change is raising your grocery bill
Extreme weather events, linked to climate change, are causing significant spikes in food prices globally. A recent study highlights price surges like Australian lettuce increasing by 300% and US vegetable prices rising by 80%. These climate-driven food price shocks impact consumers and pose challenges for central banks managing inflation, emphasizing the need for climate action and adaptive policies. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads A 300% spike in Australian lettuce prices. A 50% rise for European olive oil and 80% for US vegetables. Researchers from the Barcelona Supercomputing Center and the European Central Bank have traced back those price jumps to extreme weather they say is linked to climate change The group analyzed 16 weather events around the world between 2022 and 2024. Many were so unusual that a given region had experienced nothing like it prior to 2020, according to the analysis, which was published in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Research Letters on Monday in Europe.'Unprecedented conditions are set to become increasingly common across the world,' the study's authors say. 'At the same time, new records for extreme conditions will continue to be set, further from those to which agricultural production and economic systems are currently adapted.'Climate change brings with it higher temperatures and extreme rains, which can lower yields and make the crops that are harvested more expensive. British households' food bill, for instance, was £361 (about $484) more in 2022 and 2023 due to climate change, according to estimates by the nonprofit Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit. (ECIU staffer Tom Lancaster was a coauthor of the new study.)Consumers globally say they are feeling the effects of climate change on their grocery bills, making food unaffordable for some and posing a challenge for central bankers trying to tame are a few of the price hikes the researchers identified:In 2022, California registered its driest three-year period ever recorded, leaving nearly a million acres of farm fields unplanted and producing initial crop revenue losses of nearly $2 billion that year alone. Arizona, which grows most of the US's winter lettuce supply, also saw reductions in the amount of water the state received from the Colorado River, due to a drought-related water shortage in the river basin. These conditions in two major US agricultural states, paired with Hurricane Ian hitting Florida, contributed to a more than 80% hike in the country's vegetable prices compared with the previous year.A heat wave that warmed Asia last year to temperatures as high as 115F (46C) was one of the disruptive weather events that led to vegetable prices in China rising more than 40% between June and and dry conditions also left South Korean cabbages nearly 70% more expensive than the year prior, according to local media reports. Napa cabbage is commonly pickled into kimchi, a staple local dish, and the government has utilized national stocks to bolster Australia faced record-breaking extreme flooding in early 2022, which was soon estimated to be Australia's costliest ever flood and its fifth most costly disaster. A resulting lettuce shortage led shoppers to complain about prices of around A$12 ($7.81) for a head of iceberg lettuce. The lettuce previously cost roughly A$2.80 a piece, according to the Guardian, representing a more than 300% price increase. Fast food chain KFC even began substituting in cabbage in its tend to respond as soon as one or two months after an instance of extreme heat or drought, says Max Kotz, the study's lead author and a postdoctoral fellow at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center. He and the other authors also looked at how unusual weather events were for each region, based on the distribution of measures like temperature over found that heat, drought and floods were occurring at an increased intensity and frequency. El Niño, a climate pattern that occurred from 2023 to 2024, likely also influenced the extreme weather observed, the authors kinds of food price shocks typically turn out to be short-term in nature, because high prices incentivize more production, which brings prices back down, says Andrew Stevenson, a senior climate analyst for Bloomberg like coffee and cattle are the exception, because they require certain conditions such as a tropical climate or large swathes of land for grazing that limit where they can be grown and bred. Coffee and cattle futures, contracts that represent near-term pricing in those markets, have marched up in price since 2020 — in contrast with futures for a crop like corn that's more easily US tariffs could further squeeze farmers abroad, says Stevenson. 'It puts producers in an uncomfortable position where the price of beef is too expensive to sell at home but not expensive enough to sell with a 50% tariff,' he weather is only expected to continue, and the study recommends that countries consider policies that will help consumers manage rising food prices . Ultimately, though, slashing greenhouse gas emissions and containing global warming will be key to reducing food price inflation risks, the authors say. Climate forecasts can also provide early warnings, and farms can implement adaptations like irrigation, though both approaches have serious limitations.
