Community News

SOLVING FOOD INSECURITY SHOULD BE PROVINCIAL PRIORITY

KATE GREAVETTE

Food insecurity is a serious public health crisis that costs our health-care system considerably.

Monitored by Statistics Canada through the Canadian Community Health Survey, estimates from between 2017 and 2018 show that 4.4 million Canadians, including 1.2 million children, live in food-insecure households.

The COVID-19 pandemic and rising cost of living has put more people in the position of being food insecure.

Food insecurity is the inadequate or insecure access to food due to financial constraints. Historically, every level of government has relied heavily on the charitable sector to address the immediate symptom of food insecurity: hunger.

This has taken the form of food pantries, community meals and food hamper programs.

These community initiatives are incredible, as they rely primarily on volunteer labour and donations. However, this also makes sustainability extremely difficult.

Due to their precarious nature, these programs cannot operate every day, often cannot provide culturally relevant foods for everyone and can only offer what is available. As a result, only 23 per cent of people living with food insecurity actually use the food bank.

Food insecurity can impact one’s physical, mental and social health, and food insecurity compromises a person’s ability to participate in social activities, celebrate their culture and it erodes relationships with family and friends.

Food insecurity exists because people do not have the income they need to meet their basic needs.

A recent report from researchers at the University of Toronto found that 70 per cent of households which rely on social assistance are food-insecure, and 60 per cent of food-insecure households rely on wages and salaries as their primary source of income.

While charitable organizations and community members can help address the immediacy of hunger, solving the real issue of food insecurity requires public policy to tackle poverty.

Provinces have the jurisdiction to make massive strides in reducing food insecurity through policies that improve social assistance and income support.

These can include reconfiguring the Ontario Disability and Support Program (ODSP) and Ontario Works (OW) to appropriately reflect the cost of living and eliminate penalties for earned income while on income support. With the highest proportion of minimum wage workers in Canada, Ontario also needs to create policies to ensure better jobs with living wages, security and paid sick days.

We want to see public policies that prioritize poverty reduction, and ensure that everyone’s right to food is met.

Kate Greavette’s background in urban agriculture, post-harvest processes and food policy, and her love of growing and cooking, aligns with her role as executive director of York Region Food Network and chair of the York Region Food Council.

OPINION

en-ca

2022-05-19T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-05-19T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://communitynews.pressreader.com/article/281517934728343

Metroland Media Group Ltd.