Food insecurity: a reality for too many

As one of the richest countries in the world and a net exporter of food, most Canadians enjoy access to an abundance of fresh and nutritious food that is not found in many other parts of the world.
In midst of this tremendous wealth, it is scarcely believable that hunger still exists in our country today.

And yet it does. A recent study by the University of Toronto has highlighted the substantial presence of hunger in low-income communities in Canada. As recently reported by the Toronto Star, the study surveyed 500 families in 12 neighbourhoods identified as being among the poorest in Toronto.

Conducted between October 2005 and January 2007, the study interviewed families to determine their level of food insecurity. All households lived in rental housing and had children. While some relied on social assistance or disability support, the majority of families had at least one adult member employed.

Ten percent of the interviewed families reported that adult members had gone days without food because they could not afford to feed the entire household. 28 percent were identified as experiencing “severe food insecurity,” which the study defined as skipping meals or going an entire day without food. Almost half of respondents reported they could not afford to feed their children balanced meals, and nearly one quarter said they delayed rent payments to buy food.

Food insecurity is a symptom of poverty, and directly correlated with insufficient income. It is also a social determinant of health – a lack of access to basic food items and an inadequate diet can be seriously detrimental to the health of individuals and families. When people have inadequate income for food, the healthiest items – such as fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats and dairy products – are often the first to be cut, as they are more expensive.

Food prices also widely differ across Canada, directly impacting the affordability of food. And hunger does not only harm individuals. By contributing to poor health, it negatively impacts society as a whole in the form of higher costs to health care and social services.

While food banks, school breakfast programs and other food support programs provide crucial assistance for those struggling with hunger, they are not enough to address the problem.

The study highlights the need for government policies that promote income security in order to ensure that the most impoverished in our society have enough money to buy food. Currently, levels of social assistance in Canada fall far below what is necessary to meet even the most basic of needs of housing, clothes and food. And for those who are employed, a lack of a living minimum wage and adequate childcare services contribute to the lack of sufficient income.

Growing unemployment resulting from the economic downturn is exacerbating the problem of food insecurity in Canada. Current government policies that limit access to EI are making many families vulnerable to poverty and trapped on social assistance.

About 80 percent of families surveyed were identified as new Canadians, highlighting the vulnerability of this population to income and food insecurity and the need for greater support services for them. This could include more employment opportunities and greater assistance in gaining professional accreditation.

Our country has the resources to end hunger; what we need is the political willpower to do so. As citizens, we must call on our governments to take action to ensure that no one in Canada continues to needlessly suffer from food and income insecurity.