The upcoming year is going to be a challenging one for all of us when it comes to sticker shock at the supermarket, but the trickledown effect hits many sectors.

Canada’s Food Price Report projects an increase of 4-6 per cent in cost. To put that into context, food prices are 27 per cent higher now than they were five years ago.

Dr. Stacey Taylor, an assistant professor in business analytics at Cape Breton University, says food banks can make a cash dollar stretch further than the average consumer, but such a steep increase in cost will affect their buying power. She’s also concerned about restaurants. Most already have razor-thin profit margins.

“They have their costs as well but if we don’t support them, they’re going to fold,” says Dr. Taylor. “It’s a really difficult balance for everybody.”