2022 has been another unprecedented year and another year in which our holiday meals will not be immune to external pressures. The bottom line and bad news are that your Thanksgiving meal will cost significantly more this year. It has even been suggested that you would save money if you went out to eat instead of cooking the meal like you typically might do. What makes this year different from the prior few years is that instead of shortages of favorite foods being primarily due to supply chain challenges, this year we have the dubious honor of experiencing a perfect storm of events that impact the cost and availability of a variety of Thanksgiving staples.
A few “ingredients” making up the unwelcome higher cost of your Thanksgiving meal include: disease; higher fuel and transportation costs; labor shortages; climate change such as drought and overly wet growing seasons and war. This interactive Washington Post piece does a good job of breaking down how and why the cost of many traditional Thanksgiving foods will be impacted while this ThomasNet article extends its focus to include the impact on beer, crabs and other vegetables and fruits.
Not to fear! There may be signs of hope. Some food prices are starting to fall and production and exports are increasing. We’ve said it every year since 2020, but maybe this time, it will come true when we say, “hopefully next year will be different.”
Happy Thanksgiving, and may your day be filled with family, friends and good food. No matter the cost, the opportunity to give thanks is priceless.
