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Expanding food access is critical, but our ultimate goal should be reducing the number of Canadians who need this support in the first place.
Posted: October 31, 2024 • 3 min read
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People wait in line outside the Fort York Food Bank on College Street in Toronto, Friday, September 6, 2024. Photo credit: Jack Boland/Toronto Sun
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Food Banks Canada‘s latest Hunger Count shows a worrying picture. Visits to food banks have risen sharply over the past five years, highlighting a growing food insecurity crisis that requires urgent and sustainable action.
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The number of monthly visits to food banks in 2019 was 1,086,280, a 17% increase in 2021 to 1,272,580. In 2022, the number of monthly visits increased by another 15% to 1,465,721, and in 2023, the situation became even more dire, with visits surging 32% to 1,935,911. As of 2024, the number of monthly visits continues to increase, currently averaging 2,059,636, a 6.4% increase from last year. These numbers demonstrate the growing strain on resources and the urgent need to address food insecurity in Canada.
But while demand has grown, donations have not kept pace. According to Food Bank Canada, 76 per cent of food banks cited a decline in food donations over the past three to five years that has had a significant or moderate impact on their operations, up from 48 per cent in 2021. What’s even more problematic is that many of your former donors are now becoming customers. The scope of food insecurity is expanding. This reduction in contributions has resulted in 83% of food banks purchasing food to compensate. This is up from 55% in 2021. These additional cost burdens highlight the need for more sustainable solutions to meet already limited budgets and demand across the country.
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The surge in food bank dependence may be due to rising costs of living, affecting the poor, the elderly, single-person households and international students. Many of them arrive in Canada with little financial safety net, pay significantly higher tuition fees, and are limited in their ability to work full-time. Although these students do not arrive expecting to be food insecure, many are seeking support out of desperation. They chose Canada as a place of hope and opportunity, and as a country we have a responsibility to ensure that they are never left unsupported.
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Some argue that food bank use is increasing due to social normalization, but the data reveals a much more complex picture. Research from Food Banks Canada and other sources, including the Agri-Food Analytics Lab, highlights the significant gap between the number of Canadians experiencing food insecurity and the number of Canadians using food banks. Emotional or social barriers often delay the decision to seek help. Many people hesitate to ask for help because they feel like others need it more urgently or because they are embarrassed to ask. Foodbanks are aware of these issues and have been working to reduce barriers and access support without stigma through a more inclusive intake process.
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Are increasing the accessibility of food banks unintentionally creating problems for the food banks themselves? Many people in the field may think so. But in addition to increasing support for food banks, Canada must explore new and innovative solutions to address food insecurity. Initiatives such as “nutrition certificates” that can be exchanged at farmers markets or eliminating sales taxes on nutritious foods could provide more individualized and dignified ways to support those in need.
Beyond food banks, Canada faces a much more pressing truth. The Canadian economy is weakening. Per capita productivity is stagnating and the country’s wealth gap is growing. Food bank use is a visible symptom, but the number of invisible people fighting in silence is likely greater. Research shows that many people who need help do not seek it, and this research should guide policy responses beyond short-term solutions. To ensure the well-being of Canadians, we must address both immediate food insecurity and its root causes.
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Food banks are on the front lines of Canada’s food insecurity crisis, but they cannot solve the problem alone. Canada must embrace a holistic approach to address not only the need for food assistance, but also the structural economic issues that contribute to it.
Expanding food access is critical, but our ultimate goal should be to reduce the number of Canadians who need this support in the first place. This approach will help Canada not only mitigate today’s crisis, but also prevent future generations from facing the same challenges.
— Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is director of the Agricultural and Food Analysis Laboratory at Dalhousie University and co-host of The Food Professor Podcast.
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