Fighting high prices, food insecurity: Discount sellers say it's been a difficult, demanding year

It's been a year of soaring demand for agencies that are helping to feed Calgarians in the face of rising food prices — the highest price increases seen in nearly half a century.

In early December, volunteers assembled at the northeast warehouse of the Community Kitchen Program of Calgary to put together 800 fresh-food boxes that will be sold at roughly half the price of retail.

"I know that the demand to all food security businesses has really increased significantly and so, you know, you're making a difference when you see the volumes going up every week," said Bill Lawless, one of the volunteers who was helping to fill the boxes as they whizzed by on a rolling conveyor belt. 

Two agencies that sell discounted fresh food to Calgarians are seeing strong demand and doubt that pressure will ease in the new year. The Calgary Food Bank, which offers free food, also says it is dealing with unprecedented demand.

At the Community Kitchen Program of Calgary, demand for the boxes has increased by nearly 4,000 compared to last year, to just under 25,000 in 2022. The organization says the fresh veggies served approximately 60,000 people, including children and seniors. The boxes can be purchased by anyone without an income test. It's described as a hands-up rather than a hands-out approach.

Another program run by the Community Kitchen Program of Calgary, which offers hampers to local agencies, also has seen demand soar.

Overall, the Community Kitchen Program of Calgary served approximately 100,000 more clients for all of its programs, compared to 2021. The projected total for 2022 is expected to surpass 420,000. 

"We did not expect to see this kind of growth.… In the last few years, we've seen growth, definitely, but this has shocked us," said Sundae Nordin, the organization's CEO.

Nordin says rising prices for food — along with more expensive utilities, shelter and gasoline — are fuelling the demand. 

Food prices have increased by 11.4 per cent in the past year, the fastest annual pace since 1981, according to Statistics Canada.

"2022 has just been incredibly busy with just growth of our programs, of our good food box program," she said.

The agency offers three sizes for its "good food boxes," and the prices range from $25 to $35. Some of the items being packaged in early December were squash, potatoes, yams, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, garlic, oranges and apples.  

Mobile markets see rising demand

Fresh Routes is an agency that sets up "mobile markets" in Calgary and neighbouring First Nation communities so people can purchase fresh fruit and vegetables at discounted prices. Other perks, such as grocery store gift cards, are sometimes given out. 

"It helps a lot for the individuals, especially for me as a single mom," said Mae Drilon, who was picking up avocados, broccoli, lemons, tomatoes and grapes at a Fresh Routes market at the Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Association for herself and her teenaged daughter.

In 2021, Fresh Routes logged just over 13,000 transactions, which it says represents 175,000 servings or 32,500 kilograms of food. Its depots are visited by 3,260 people every month. 

"I say almost a 30 per cent increase in customers that are shopping with us," said Nikita Scringer, director of operations with Fresh Routes.

"We're just seeing more and more people. It could be your neighbours. It can be people you work with that are facing food insecurity," she said.

"So people are looking for ways to save a dollar and to stretch their paycheque."

The agency says one in eight households in Calgary is food insecure, meaning it doesn't have reliable access to affordable and nutritious food. Fresh Routes says food insecurity disproportionately affects low-income families, single parents, Indigenous people, newcomers and people with disabilities.

Grappling with the effects of the pandemic, the organization said it had to regroup and rebuild in 2021. It had to revise its supply chain operations, procurement processes and pricing and organize its financial operations. It's since re-opened all of its mobile markets and added new locations this past year.

May be forced to raise prices

Meanwhile, at the Community Kitchen Program of Calgary, Nordin says no decisions have been made but the organization may have to increase prices for its Good Food boxes in 2023 — something that hasn't been done in seven years.

"If the prices continue to rise as they did in 2022, we will have to look at that … but that is our last thing that we want to do," she said.

The agency also teaches people how to prepare nutritious meals, budget their finances and make their income stretch by preparing cost-effective and healthy meals. 

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Scringer says Fresh Routes might have to charge higher prices in 2023 for some products as well. They're also considering a price freeze for high-demand products while seeking sponsorships to keep prices low. 

The non-profit is "looking at creative solutions like that, so that we don't have to jump and increase prices like so many other places have," she said.

Both agencies expect demand for discounted fresh food to continue to rise in 2023. Fresh Routes says it will also add more pop-up markets.

"We're just going to see more [mobile] markets, we're going to see more people accessing services like this," said Scringer.

Bryan Labby is an enterprise reporter with CBC Calgary. If you have a good story idea or tip, you can reach him at bryan.labby@cbc.ca or on Twitter at @CBCBryan.