Nowadays, many US and Canadian grocery stores have empty shelves. If you also have encountered empty grocery shelves in your nearby grocery store, then you may be concerned about the food supply.
We from PrestoCash have looked into this concern and tried to dig deeper into the current situation. So, while we were conducting our research, we found many interesting reasons behind it. So, read the full article to understand the current food supply shortages, why they are happening, and what you can do.
Grocery store: Food shortage in Canada?
Can an empty grocery store be considered a food shortage in Canada? No, the reason behind empty grocery shelves goes beyond any visible reason. In June, Alberta Premier Jason Kenner tweeted, tagging Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to reverse the policy, which makes it mandatory for the truckers to be vaccinated to continue their service.
The policy was introduced at the end of last year and implemented in January this year. The rise in Omicron variant and halting people from spreading the disease further fueled the need to implement the trucker vaccination policy. For the initial stages, the effect was normal and didn’t affect much of the grocery stock. However, as time passed on, the consumption of food resources grew above and more than the supply.
So, it was obvious that something like a food shortage would hit the Canadian market. But you don’t have to worry about the food shortages; in reality, Canada doesn’t suffer from food shortages, and Canadians should not fret over the food supply system, said Retail Council of Canada (RCC) spokesperson Michelle Wasylyshen during an interview with Daily Hive.
So, an empty shelf that you are seeing in your grocery store should only be temporary until it is restocked. Sylvain Charlebois, director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University, agrees with the current situation and also tells consumers to readjust their expectations as they walk into the grocery store for some more time; at least for the next six months.
What are the issues causing grocery supply chain problems?
Labour shortage
- The surge in Covid cases has played a major role in the empty grocery shelves and changes in the food supply. In addition, it has affected the way the industry operates. And it is bound to happen! When 15 to 20 people are affected at the same time.
- Moreover, some Canadian grocers are operating with only 50% of the staff to reduce the spread of the Omicron variant. So, if a process utilizes the work of 20 employees, but due to Covid, only 10 employees could function, then naturally, the work will be delayed.
Extreme weather condition
- Changing climatic patterns is another problem that can also affect how groceries store perform. For example, having bad weather like a few weeks back Ontario blizzard can affect the delivery of food items.
- So, it can also be a reason for the empty shelves in grocery stores. But it will be replenished in a week or fortnight. Another such example can be quoted from last year’s flood in British Columbia, where large groups of people emptied the store shelves.
What is the immediate action you can take?
The whole situation right now can be tragic, but it is not eternal. So, there are a few of the things that you can do right now to get accustomed to the low food supply. Here are a few to list.
Change and Adapt
- Whether you like it or not, you must change your food habits and what you eat to meet the new and changing market situation.
- Due to a lack of food, many people won’t be able to get the items they need to eat. So, do not crave lasagna in such chaotic times.
- Rather focus on feeding your family and fulfilling the basic needs until the stores are restocked and the process returns to normal.
Practice not overbuying
- People start to overbuy items when there is a shortage of food items. This is because they fear having a low quantity of food items, and if they run out of their stock and the food is not available in the stores, they will struggle to feed their families and children.
- So, this fear forces them to buy food items and store them in their homes, like the toilet paper incident that happened in the US at the beginning of the pandemic.
- So, don’t overbuy the items and go for daily or weekly stocks. As the RCC has already said, it is not a food shortage but a food supply problem.
Find Substitutes
- During these difficult times, don’t be rigid regarding the brands of the product. For example, if you buy Unico oil, but only Mazola oil is available, then do not be stubborn and leave. You can easily substitute one oil brand for the other.
- For example, instead of tomato puree, you can buy tomatoes and use them in your food. There are many substitutes available in the market. Check out blogs and articles to find substitutes for different products.
Have your kitchen garden
- Another best way to never worry about basic food items is to grow your own vegetable garden or kitchen garden. Unfortunately, not many people keep a garden in their backyard.
- But you can create a basic and purposeful kitchen garden for your needs, especially in such times. You can get the basic idea of creating your kitchen garden from YouTube and then follow it to create your kitchen garden.
- As this shortage is expected to last till next year, you can start growing your plants today and reap the vegetables in the upcoming months.
If you are struggling with a few dollars or need a couple of bucks to fund your expenses, then PrestoCash can help you get an instant online loan in Canada. You can then slowly pay it with easy monthly EMI. As we Canadians are at a difficult stage right now, inflation has also reached its peak.
So the cost of every good has risen, which can be alarming for the country as it can reduce the money spent and eventually lead to recession. But for now, you can focus on feeding your family and staying safe. If in the future, you need help with instant online loans, you can always refer to us anytime.