This infographic by Food Banks Canada was part of the HungerCount report. The report states that while there was a drop of approximately 40,000 food bank users between 2012 – 2013, there were 833,000 food bank users in Canada. This is 23% more than the number of people who accessed food banks prior to the 2008 recession. PROOF’s Household Food Insecurity in Canada 2012 report, stated that approximately 1.4 Million households experience food insecurity in Canada.
Programs that offer emergency food services vary in their makeup. A large majority of those in the HungerCount study (78%) offer non-traditional services. These services include:
- Food focused programs
- Skill building programs
- Social service programs
- Referral to other services
Some of the recommendations in this report are aimed at reducing future reliance on food banks in Canada. A few of the main recommendations include:
- Expanding benefits for Employment Insurance
- Increasing Social Assistance levels
- Reforms to ‘flexible’ labour laws that privilege employers
It is important to recognize that those facing food insecurity are also likely facing insecurity in other areas such as housing and employment. Those who are at risk of losing their housing may be unable to access good food without the support of emergency food services. Affordable housing, rent supplements and rent geared to income are also important in ensuring that lower paid workers are still able to access good, nutritious and culturally relevant food. Unfortunately with recent federal changes there will be 10,500 fewer social housing units funded. The HungerCount report also notes that 1.6M families currently spend over 30% of their income on housing.
Overall, it is important that we continue to look at the connection between poverty, food security and homelessness. Policy decisions at every jurisdictional level should address the current needs while implementing preventative measures that will decrease reliance on emergency services in the future.
