Image: Pojoslaw / Dreamstime / A survey from a Lower Mainland non-profit, providing groceries for low income residents, says families that use their service often spend close to 40 per cent on food.

By Don Mitchell

Lower Mainland non-profit grocery says 40% of client families’ income earmarked for groceries

Sep 15, 2024 | 1:45 PM

VANCOUVER — A Lower Mainland not-for-profit grocery outlet says data from customers shows that some families living on or below the poverty line are spending about 40 per cent of their total budget on food.

Quest Outreach Society, which runs about a half-dozen outlets that act as a bridge between food banks and grocery stores, suggests that a family of four in B.C. making $40,000 or less is feeling the brunt of rising food prices across Canada.

An early 2024 survey of about 1,200 of its 10,000-plus active clients and others connected with partner agencies shows that about 64 per cent of shoppers are families, and 74 per cent of their client base also use food banks.

About 85 per cent visit at least once a week.

“In this inaugural report, we look at how our market clients, including households with families and children, are hit hardest when it comes to the cost of food,” Quest Executive Director Theodora Lamb explained.

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Unsurprisingly, over 95 per cent of respondents said the rising cost of food was a significant burden in their lives, along with the cost of housing.

Canada’s Annual Food Price Report, released by Canadian researchers last December, projected the cost of groceries this year would likely increase between 2.5 and 4.5 per cent, with a household of four spending just above $16,000 annually on food.

Food categories most coveted by Quest clients—topped by meat, vegetables, and baked goods—were predicted to rise between five and seven per cent.

In April, Food Banks BC reported a 30 per cent increase in users between 2022 and 2024.

Meanwhile, the Chilliwack Salvation Army revealed in June it has been dealing with low inventory, with over 6,000 people accessing the service each month.

In July, Statistics Canada data showed the rate of food inflation had slowed somewhat compared to 2023.

In the same month last year, the cost of food was up 7.8 per cent, compared to a 2.3 per cent increase recorded in July 2024.