Kirstin Beardsley, CEO, Food Banks Canada has stated that ‘”relentless inflation and a broken social safety net has caused many people who never thought they would need a food bank to walk through the doors for the first time. With food banks across Canada in crisis mode, as demand reaches new all-time highs, we must ask: when is it enough before we act?” according to the newly-released Food Banks Canada HungerCount 2023 Report.
The milestone report–– the only research study encompassing Canada’s 4750+ food banks and community organizations — shows the devastating impact of rapid inflation and inadequate social supports on poverty, food insecurity and hunger in Canada.
According to HungerCount 2023 findings, the number of visits in March, 2023 were 1,935,911 in total. This represents a 78.5% increase from 2019.
Food Banks Canada reports that people in every community across the country are at the breaking point. They are calling on all levels of government to adopt a dual approach to address the root causes of food bank use by addressing low incomes and poverty and the skyrocketing costs of living.
Food Banks Canada has identified four policy recommendations to prevent worsening conditions for millions of people across our country.
These include:
- Rebuilding our outdated and broken social safety net which is long overdue
- React appropriately to the severity of the housing crisis
- Create new policies that ensure that those who work will always have enough money to put food on the table
- Give special attention to food insecurity and poverty in northern and remote parts of Canada
Beardsley said, “the sad reality is that nothing will change until governments in Canada hear the alarm bells that have been ringing for far too long. Governments at all levels must respond. By focusing on urgent affordability issues and fixing our broken social safety net, a better path forward is possible – a Canada where no one goes hungry.”
Click here to read the HungerCount 2023 report.
Photo: Food Banks Canada