Food inflation has undeniably become a political issue in Canada. Need evidence? Yesterday on CTV, an economist who does not conduct forecasting or price analysis suggested that beef prices are “skyrocketing” simply because consumers continue to buy beef — effectively blaming demand, you, the consumer, not the reality of a highly concentrated processing sector dominated by two foreign-owned firms, nor the role of import restrictions and policy choices in shaping supply. Another commentator, with no research background in food pricing, praised the Carney government’s “strong policy direction,” while acknowledging that her agency is fully funded by Ottawa and that her grant is up for renewal this year. And the CBC? Not a single mention of Canada’s G7-leading 7.3% food inflation rate. This is precisely why Canadians remain poorly informed about why food prices are rising.