You're at the grocery store with your phone out, checking beef prices per kilo. Ground beef is up 25%. Most cuts are up over 30%. You're doing the math, comparing apps, strategizing. The person beside you tosses a roast in their cart without looking. They're not checking anything. That's the problem and the explanation all at once.

Canada exports 90% of its fish because it's seen as premium. We import 90% of what we eat. Same pattern with beef: premium cuts go to China while Canadians buy less or switch to pork. Prices won't drop until mid-2027 because demand remains strong enough. The middle class is shrinking, but the data doesn't show it. People are going to food banks while others buy whatever they want. That gap is what keeps beef expensive.

This isn't about supply recovering or herds rebuilding. It's about who can still afford it setting the price for everyone who can't. Your phone at the meat counter is proof you're being strategic. Their empty cart is proof strategy doesn't matter when enough people aren't using one.

Topics: Canadian beef prices, grocery inflation, food economics, middle class erosion, shopping strategies, meat alternatives

GUEST: Dr. Sylvain Charlebois | @‌foodprofessor

Originally aired on 2026-02-05