According to experts, grocery stores face increased labor and supply shortages, which might jeopardize Canada’s food security.

According to the senior vice-president of public policy at the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers, Gary Sands, employee absenteeism due to sick leave and COVID-19 guidelines has reached over 30% in certain stores and continues to grow.

Sands claimed that most workers are compelled to isolate for weeks following COVID-19 exposure because most provinces lack access to rapid testing kits.

Further, if the situation deteriorates further, some grocery stores will close, jeopardizing food security in remote places that rely on a single independent grocery.

Health Canada has provided several fast test kits to critical sectors with 200 or more employees, comprising the food industry. However, many independent stores don’t fulfill that requirement.

He claimed that independent groceries are spread throughout the country, even in remote communities where other grocery stores don’t exist. Thus, if those stores close, the country will have food security problems.

Other challenges of grocery stores

In the meantime, stores are facing shortages of items due to issues in the supply chain. Some of these include truck driver shortages, packing and processing delays, and the Canadian cold.

According to Michelle Wasylyshen, the spokesperson of Retail Council Canada, groceries rely on “just in time” delivery, which means that even temporary concerns such as intemperate weather can cause delays and shortages.

Nonetheless, she noted that the current empty shelves should be temporary, stressing that retailers pursue all feasible channels to get products into stores as rapidly as possible.

However, other supply chain challenges, such as the trucker shortage exacerbated by the Canadian government’s new vaccine mandate, maybe more pernicious.

Sands added that the vaccination requirement for truck drivers is causing some delays, particularly in delivering vegetables and fruits from California. While grocery stores in the Central region of Canada are reporting largely delays of a few weeks, shortages appear to be more severe in the West.

Sands stated that grocers are short over 40% of their regular supply of a range of products in some instances. Some grocers, particularly in the West, report that the supply situation is as terrible as it was during the spring of 2020.

What others are saying

The produce section faces shortages; according to Sands, the cereals, soup, and cleaning products are operating below par.

For instance, many shoppers have seen empty shelves in stores that regularly offer Kellogg’s cereal.

Kellogg Canada stated via email that increased at-home consumption and supply chain constraints had impacted the availability of several goods in Canada. The company noted that the “intermittent shortages” reflect the complex operating environment that all manufacturers face, adding that it is working diligently to restock Kellogg’s cereal lines.

Last year, around 1,400 unionized workers at Kellogg’s operations in the United States struck for several weeks.