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At first glance, the presence of inexpensive Australian beef in Canadian grocery stores seems absurd. How can beef raised thousands of kilometres away, shipped across the Pacific and distributed through Canada sell for substantially less than beef produced in Alberta?

CHARLEBOIS: Why cheap Australian beef may be Canadian beef’s best friend Back to video

Recent comparisons circulating online have shown Australian striploin selling for approximately $24 per kilogram while a Canadian alternative was priced above $50. Understandably, Canadian cattle producers and consumers are asking how this is possible.

But inexpensive Australian beef may not be the threat to Canadian beef that many assume. For a limited period, it could actually help protect the domestic industry’s most valuable long-term asset: the Canadian beef consumer.

Canadian beef prices have reached levels that many households simply cannot absorb. Ground beef, once considered an economical protein, has become increasingly expensive. Premium steaks are now beyond the reach of many middle-income families except for special occasions. Faced with these prices, consumers do not merely purchase less-expensive cuts. They migrate toward chicken, pork, fish or other alternatives.

That substitution can become permanent.

Food consumption is largely habitual. When families stop preparing beef........

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