It is high time for more collaboration to reduce food insecurity
Written by Sarah Stern, Leader, Maple Leaf Centre for Food Security
The tagline of the COVID-19 pandemic was that it was an unprecedented crisis. Never before had the world faced such a threat to our modern way of life, economy, and the health and safety of billions of people. While the pandemic undoubtedly rages on and Canada begins to move into an era without pandemic restrictions, the reality is that we are still living in unprecedented times. The inflationary pressures at play throughout 2022 have dramatically affected the ability of individuals and households to afford basic necessities, including food. Food insecurity, the inability to access sufficient food or the uncertainty that one will be able to do so due to economic constraints, is a marker of material deprivation and is likely getting worse. The London Food Bank has seen more than 23,000 people representing over 9000 households needing support this year, a 41% increase since this time last year, and the greatest degree of need in its 36 years of operation.
Food insecurity is a pervasive and significant problem. Primarily driven by low income, it disproportionately impacts households with children, single parents, those with low educational attainment, and people with disabilities. One of the biggest disparities can be seen among different racial groups, in particular Black and Indigenous communities, including First Nations peoples – who experience food insecurity rates over three times the national average. The impacts of food insecurity are devastating and ultimately result in high social costs and lost human potential. Food insecurity is associated with an increased incidence of chronic illness and mental health problems among adults. Children living with food insecurity may struggle academically and are more likely to suffer from behavioural problems than children living in food-secure households. Emergency relief provided by food banks helps in the short term, but despite the growth in the size and scale of food banks, food insecurity rates have only increased. There is an overwhelming consensus among Canadians that governments should do more than they are currently doing to help people in poverty and hunger (The Gandalf Group & The Maple Leaf Centre for Food Security, 2022).
How can it be that in a wealthy nation, grounded in good values, where the importance of a social safety net is unquestioned – we do not see the travesty of almost 6 million Canadians living with food insecurity as a national crisis? For far too long we’ve relied on the conscience, talent, and limited resources of the not-for-profit sector to alleviate this issue. We need to do more and there is no doubt that there is a role for every sector to play in reducing food insecurity.
As food insecurity has economic, health, racial and social dimensions, we need a whole-of-governments approach and bold targets to effectively address food insecurity. Governments at all levels have set forth targets to address social issues in the past with amazing results. The federal government has made a bold effort in Canada’s Poverty Reduction Strategy which has led to cross-departmental action and considerable progress towards achieving its goal to reduce poverty by 50% by 2030. The government of Quebec pulled thousands of Quebeckers out of poverty through the Act to combat poverty and social exclusion; this may have played a role in the lower rates of food insecurity seen in that province, an anomaly compared to the rising rates of food insecurity seen elsewhere in Canada. The city of Guelph’s Food Futures initiative is working to increase access to affordable food by 50% as a key outcome of supporting a strong local food system and economy. The City of London too has made bold commitments before with the London anti-poverty strategy.
We know that a combination of efforts at all levels of government will be needed, including direct income support. We have seen that targets can help align and drive action. Municipalities too can help pull many of the levers - through affordable housing, accessible transportation, school food programs, and community food access. Unprecedented times call for unprecedented responses – it’s high time we did what it takes to reduce hunger. Speak up and let your elected officials know you want to see action