Canadian food prices are about to move again, and the shift started long before anything reached a shelf. The industrial carbon tax rises to $110 on April 1st. It covers fertilizers, refrigeration, food processing, and the full cold chain. The retail portion went to zero. The industrial portion did not.

The ham marked on sale for Easter is up nine to ten percent from last year. Fertilizer prices are already tracking the same early pattern seen after Ukraine’s invasion, with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois watching for a commodity spike by early summer. Australian stew meat at the same counter costs half what Canadian does, and that gap has a specific explanation.

Mid-April is the window Charlebois flags for the next price increase. Meat, dairy, and produce carry the most exposure when energy costs rise. That Easter deal is not a deal.

Topics: Canadian food prices, industrial carbon tax, grocery inflation Canada, fertilizer prices 2025, cold chain food costs

GUEST: Dr. Sylvain Charlebois | @‌foodprofessor

Originally aired on2026-03-19