RISING FOOD PRICES AND INFLATION 

Rising Food Prices Impact Cost of Food Packs

Inflation, economic disparity, and supply chain disruptions, are at an all time high globally. This means there has been a rise in food prices and related costs. You may have seen this in local grocery stores and your favourite restaurants and cafes — essentially reflected in every aspect of life. 

So what exactly does this mean for the programs you support through Islamic Relief Canada? 

To accommodate increased costs on operations and supplies, while remaining true to our values of excellence and sincerity, Islamic Relief Canada will be increasing our prices of certain products, particularly our food packs this year. This is to ensure we can choose the most reliable suppliers and upkeep the quality of our products, making your donation have an even stronger impact in the lives of the rights-holders you support. Ultimately, this will ensure we are able to operate sustainably and responsibly long into the future.

Why do our food packs need to be at a higher price?

Islamic Relief’s country offices procure food items from local suppliers to support local livelihoods and each country’s economy. Due to global inflation and the rising cost of living, local suppliers have increased their prices for the food items we usually purchase to create our Ramadan food packs. 

To ensure your donation is being used in the best way possible and to continue giving rights-holders the highest quality items as well as more items, this year the cost of our Ramadan food packs is $150/food pack. 

Islamic Relief continues to follow a rigorous procurement policy to purchase food items and other supplies. This policy involves screening multiple suppliers, quality assurance, and reviews of products. This means our country offices are choosing the best quality products at the most cost-effective price. 

With the rising food prices and increased cost of living, people are struggling more than ever to afford staple food items. Our team has taken this into consideration when planning this year’s Ramadan food packs. The increased cost of food packs will mean Islamic Relief can provide 23 kg more of food to families, helping them enjoy warm meals for the entire month of Ramadan. 

Your support is needed now more than ever. By continuing to support our Ramadan food programming, you can help us reach hundreds of thousands across the world to address food insecurity and spread the warmth of Ramadan. This is how you can help make it a Ramadan without hunger. 

Food packs will contain more food and higher quality items

This year, the Ramadan food packs will have more food that will last much longer. The average weight of the food packs has increased to 56.77 kg. 

Food items vary according to regional cuisines, and are purchased through local markets to help support local livelihoods, the local economy, and ensure a high quality of products. 

This Ramadan, food packs will reach vulnerable communities facing poverty and food insecurity in the following countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India, Lebanon, Mali, Niger, Pakistan, Palestine, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. 

Each food pack usually contains an assortment of staple items, including:

• Dates
• Lentils
• Rice
• Sugar
• Oil
• Wheat
• Canned meat and fish

How this looks across the country offices may differ. In some countries, this means increasing the number of food items so families receive a diverse range of culturally-inclusive food to cook meals out of. For others, they are simply increasing the weight of each food item that is provided in the packs. In the countries where vouchers are distributed, families will be able to buy even more food to meet their specific needs. 

Our strategy to being cost-effective while ensuring quality

Islamic Relief’s programming has always factored in cost-effectiveness by ensuring the timely procurement and distribution of deliverables. Our teams on the ground plan for programs months to a year in advance. 

For example, country offices search for suppliers and set fixed prices well before Ramadan and Qurbani to avoid hiked prices closer to these months. During this search, the country office also minimizes the cost of all purchases by conducting fair tendering and selecting the highest quality product/service with the lowest bid. 

To ensure your donations are used to purchase the best quality products, our programs adhere to local and international guidelines and standards. This is exemplified through our Ramadan programming, which is implemented in accordance with the Sphere Standards, Minimum Standards in Nutrition, and Minimum Standards in Food Aid. 

What does this mean for pricing in the future?

Islamic Relief will continue to monitor the rising costs, mitigate their effect on our programming, and provide you with cost saving options. Any changes to program and product costs will not be sudden or without ample notice. Donors will always be provided with an explanation behind increases in pricing.