Inflation, tariffs and maplewashing: The big food stories for Canada in 2025

Dr. Sylvain Charlebois discusses the big food stories in Canada for 2025.

Inflation and tariffs made big headlines in Canada in 2025, and many shoppers dealt with the effects of these seismic economic shifts in the grocery store, according to a new list from the Agri-Food Analytics Lab.

The Dalhousie University-based group released its annual ranking of the 10 food stories that shaped Canada. The lab says it focuses on “structural forces” that impact affordability, consumer trust and system resilience.

“For the first time in years, the national conversation moved away from simplistic blame narratives and toward the structural realities—policy design, regulation, logistics, labour, and market power—that actually drive food affordability,” said Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, director of the lab, in a news release.

“This list shows that Canada’s food challenges are no longer cyclical or temporary. They are structural, deeply embedded, and politically uncomfortable to fix—but ignoring them is no longer an option.”

Food inflation topped the list, with the incoming grocer code of conduct and tariffs coming in second and third place, respectively.

Other big food stories include:

• Health Canada’s handling of cloned meat
• the rapid adoption of GLP-1 medications
• the GST holiday
• record-high beef prices
• the Buy Canadian movement and maplewashing
• the loss of iconic candies like Cherry Blossom and Jersey Milk
• Doug Ford dumping out a bottle of Crown Royal

The lab also cited the Make America Healthy Again movement and the push to end interprovincial trade barriers as honourable mentions.