'No need to panic': Distribution expert responds to Premier Kenney's food supply 'crisis' concerns

While food supply issues have been an ongoing challenge for many Alberta grocery stores, the issue gained exposure when the premier shared photos of empty shelves.

Premier Jason Kenney posted photos of bare shelves in an undisclosed grocery store on Monday morning, saying he's worried that new border restrictions for truckers are exacerbating the problem.

Dozens of people responded by posting photos of Calgary and Edmonton grocery stores with full or nearly full shelves of food.

Sylvain Charlebois, a researcher and professor in food distribution and food policy at Dalhousie University, says the issue isn't new and some stores have seen empty shelves for months due to supply chain fatigue.

He says food supply worries are primarily a result of the rapid transmission rate of the Omicron variant, not vaccine mandates.

"The vaccine mandate is being pointed at as being a factor, but right now, it's just too early to tell if it is having an impact on our food access as a nation," said Charlebois in an interview with CTV Morning Live Calgary.

"In the end, consumers may have a huge impact on our supply chain if we see the panic buying that we saw in March of 2020. It could actually make matters worse."

Kenney added that he is in talks with several U.S. Governors to write a joint letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President Joe Biden calling for an end to vaccine mandates for cross-border truckers.

Charlebois says 'weaponizing' pictures that show empty shelves will not help the current situation and impending price increases, not potential food shortages, should be of significant concern for Albertans.

"I'm in Florida right now, and to truck anything into Canada, the cost has doubled compared to ten days ago because there are fewer truckers available," explained Charlebois.

"Food inflation is going to be an issue this year for sure, and the vaccine mandate will likely be a contributing factor."

Canada imports significant quantities of food from the U.S., and food supply issues are a common occurrence in Alberta and across the country every winter.

Charlebois says people may encounter some empty shelves on occasion, but any void in the aisle will likely be short-lived.

"Chances are if you see an empty shelf, a few days later, you will go back to that grocery store, and you will find what you were looking for. There's no need to panic," said Charlebois.

"But I should mention, right now a lot of products entering stores aren't as fresh as they used to be. So if you buy a week or two of food, you may end up wasting a lot at home."

Charlebois encourages Albertans to limit big shopping trips in favour of multiple grocery store visits each week, as shopping for two or three days at a time will limit food waste and save money.