The rising cost of food is placing great stress on food banks, not only because of increased demand, but because the items stocking their shelves are much more expensive.

Assistant professor of business analytics at Cape Breton University, Dr. Stacey Taylor, who contributed to Dalhousie University’s annual Food Price Report, says cash donations used to be welcomed by food banks, but now those dollars don’t go as far as they once did.

She says it might require a different and more collective approach to ensuring that food banks have what they need to meet growing demand.

“I really think that we need to pull together as a country and do as much as we can to try and help the food banks help Canadians.”