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Last Modified: August 1, 2024
The High Cost of Food: Alberta magazines explore the topic from all angles

By Rebecca Lesser

There’s more than one viral video right now comparing the cost of a grocery order today to that same grocery order just a few years ago. We know that we’re paying more at the till, and we see how quickly the total grows, but the contrast can still be shocking. The high cost of food is a topic that has been considered from many angles in the pages of Alberta-based magazines.

The 2019 Avenue Calgary article “The Two-Tier Food System” explores how the cost of local and sustainable food is often out of reach for a majority of consumers. Can a food system be truly ethical if it’s inaccessible to many, and especially to lower incomes? This piece examines the means of production, the barriers to consumption, and the options available to Calgarians, in an in-depth examination of the issue. 

Legacy in Action (the Edmonton Community Foundation magazine) profiles the work of Edmonton’s WECAN Food Basket Society in their 2023 story “Fighting Food Insecurity Through Community Connection,” where members of the society prepay for groceries each month, and receive fresh food at a discount. Other community services, such as Fresh Routes and The Alex Community Food Centre, are highlighted in “Beyond the Food Bank” (published by Avenue Calgary in 2021). 

There are also pieces like airdrielife’s “Airdrie Food Bank: The Stories Behind the Statistics” from the Winter 2023/24 issue, with thoughtful profiles meant to “challenge the stereotypes and preconceptions many hold about who requires assistance from these essential services.” 

These magazine articles examine the topic of rising food prices from many angles, exploring larger systemic issues, providing insight into community-based solutions for Albertans, and humanizing the issue.