Advocacy & Issues 08/15/2024 The current state of food insecurity in Canada It’s hard to imagine in a wealthy country like Canada, but nearly one in four people experience food insecurity. Every day millions of people in our country worry about eating, compromise on the quantity and quality of their groceries, and/or go without food due to financial constraints.1 And this is an escalating crisis: Food insecurity rates increased by 26% between 2022 and 2023.2 Our partnerships with more than 350 community food organizations give us significant insight into the stress experienced by our nearly 9 million neighbours who can’t afford adequate, nourishing food. This is why we don’t want to just talk about the fact that people can’t afford food. We want to see action leading to solutions. Our policy recommendations foreground this approach and we’ve submitted them to the federal government ahead of the 2025 budget. In 2025, we need a budget that squarely tackles inadequate incomes so everyone can meet their basic needs. Our recommendations to the federal government In our 2025 pre-budget submission, we called on the federal government to: Commit to reducing food insecurity by 50% and eliminating severe food insecurity by 2030, relative to 2021 levels. Create dignified income support programs to support people aged 18 to 64 living in households experiencing food insecurity and poverty. Expand the Canada Disability Benefit to reduce food insecurity and poverty among all people with disabilities. Enhance Employment Insurance to support all workers. Ensure equitable access to federal income and social programs. Honour and strengthen Indigenous and Black food sovereignty. In addition to the links above, learn more by visiting our Poverty Action Unit webpage. Next steps We filed our pre-budget submission to the federal government on July 22, 2024. While we wait for Budget 2025’s release, we will continue to advocate and mobilize for the policy solutions mentioned above. If you would like to join us and over 350 community food organizations in this important work: Sign up for our newsletter to stay updated Get poverty and food insecurity stats for your area at foodsecuritynow.ca Download the full version of our pre-budget submission. 1. Li, T. et al. (2023). Household food insecurity in Canada 2022. https://proof.utoronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Household-Food-Insecurity-in-Canada-2022-PROOF.pdf 2. Statistics Canada. (2024). Table 13-10-0834-01. Food insecurity by economic family type. https://doi.org/10.25318/1310083401-eng