Food cost inflation continues to be a problem for many Canadians, with many looking to find the reason for those increases.

The House of Commons standing committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food Meeting on Food Inflation has been looking for that answer as inflation continues, recently questioning the agriculture sector.

APAS President Ian Boxall was one of the people called to answer questions and he took the opportunity to explain farmer's position.

"It's just our opportunity to highlight a few things that we see that are important you know, in this conversation. One being farmers aren't to blame for the rising cost of food, that we're a pretty small fraction of the cost that goes into food, our commodity prices. And, you know, just lay out some. Of the issues that we see facing the inflation we've seen in food."  

He put some of the blame for food inflation on the current supply chain, which also impacts farmers.

"I think we laid out, you know, four points there," said Boxall, "Supply chain issue being one that we need to ensure that we have a good supply chain so our product, you don't make it where they need to make it in a timely fashion. I think rising cost of inputs has an effect on farmers bottom line. But I think it also will dictate what the market is. So that's a point we raised."

He also brought up the idea of a grocery store code of conduct to better help farmers and consumers.

"I think having a grocery store code of conduct where all of the players are on an even playing field when it comes to how they deal with suppliers they have on products that are delivered and penalties for that," said Boxall, "I think was something we'd raised as well."

He also brought up the carbon tax and what kind of effect it would have on food prices.

Well, I think there was just a lot of discussion around the carbon tax and on what that effect has had on the cost of food and I think we know in Canada and especially in Saskatchewan if you bought it a truck brought it and in that then there would be carbon tax on the fuel and on everything in that."

Carbon tax has played a role into food inflation. How much of it? I don't know," said Boxall, "But it has played a role and I think there are lots of links within the supply chain that need to be researched just to see what has caused these huge increases we are seeing at grocery store shelves. "