Every year, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture calculates the date by when the average Canadian has earned enough income to pay for their annual grocery bill, and dubs the day “Food Freedom Day.” This year, Food Freedom Day occurs on Friday, February 6th — one day earlier than in 2014.
With 2015 being the “International Year of the Soils,” the CFA is using the occasion to recognize how Canada’s abundant food supply depends on the quality of our soil. CFA is also highlighting the importance of conserving agricultural soils. Farmland accounts for around 65 million hectares in Canada, but according to a Statistics Canada report published last year, available farmland decreased by 3.9 million hectares — or 6 percent — between 1971 and 2011, with urban development resulting in the loss of prime farmland.
Cheers to living in a country where food is generally abundant and affordable!
In 2014, Canadians are expected to have spent 10.4% of their disposable income on food. (Disposable income per capita is expected to be approximately $31,673, in 2014; expenditures on food and beverages will be approximately $3,291. This data comes from Statistics Canada, CANSIM tables 380-0072 and 380-0067.)
Breakdown of the Calculation
- Current prices (x 1,000,000), seasonally adjusted, personal expenditures on food and beverages in the 3rd quarter of 2014 = 116,980
- Current prices (x 1,000,000), seasonally adjusted, household disposable income in the 3rd quarter of 2014 = 1,125,660
- Divide food and beverage expenditure by household disposable income. 116,980/1,125,660 = 0.1039213
- Find out what 10.4 percent of the year is, by day. 365*0.1039213= 37
- 37 days into the year is February 6th.
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