Nutrition North has lowered fresh food prices in Nunavik: researcher

Nutrition North may have lowered the cost of fresh produce in Nunavik but price increases in items like disposable diapers mean many consumers with large families still feel broke. (FILE PHOTO)

KANGIQSUJUAQ — Since its introduction in 2010, Nutrition North Canada has had an impact on lowering the prices for fresh food in Nunavik.

The cost of fresh fruits and vegetables has dropped by 36 per cent. For dairy, prices have decreased by 30 per cent and for meat, they’re down by three per cent.

That’s according to a new study by Université Laval, which looked at 122 food products, 209 household products and 21 personal care products in stores in Nunavik and Quebec City.

Since 2010, the cost of perishable fresh foods has dropped in Nunavik overall by 19 per cent, sociologist Gérard Duhaime told the Kativik Regional Government council meeting May 28 in Kangiqsujuaq.

But, under Nutrition North, the cost of frozen foods has risen by 11 per cent.

And the cost of non-perishable foods has increased overall by 10 per cent.

The cost of cleaning products is down by four per cent, but paper products, such as toilet paper, cost 19 per cent more.

Baby products, like disposable diapers, are also up by 16 per cent.

A big gap between prices in Nunavik and Quebec remains: what costs $100 to buy in Quebec City costs $183 in Nunavik — although in some categories, such as fresh foods and dairy, that disparity has been reduced under Nutrition North.

A previous study found 2011 consumer prices for household products came up 114 per cent more expensive in Nunavik than in the Quebec City area, while personal care products were 76 per cent more expensive.

However, the research still doesn’t show how far household dollars stretch in Nunavik — and many around the table told Duhaime that baby products, such as disposable diapers, remain an expensive, but necessary, purchase for people in Nunavik.

People spend all their paycheques in a single day, one councillor said, and then wait two weeks until they can shop again, a councillor said.

And in smaller communities, where fresh produce is still hard to find, many must rely on more costly frozen foods.