Introduction
Building on our Position Statement and Recommendations on Responses to Food Insecurity and our joint report with Public Health Ontario, Food Insecurity and Food Affordability in Ontario, this Call to Action reinforces and amplifies that household food insecurity (HFI) must be addressed through social and economic policy interventions designed to specifically target its reduction. It is unacceptable and inappropriate that the charitable sector and community-based food programs, including student nutrition programs, are burdened with responding to this crisis. We call for social and economic policies that directly address the root causes of HFI and that intentionally move away from food-based responses towards income-based solutions.
Equity Denied Communities
HFI is deeply influenced by intersecting factors such as income, education, employment, race, gender, and ability. These factors determine socioeconomic position within social, economic, and political hierarchies, influencing access to resources such as adequate income and nutritious food. Individuals and families with lower social status often face systemic barriers, discrimination, and reduced power, increasing their vulnerability to HFI. Evidence shows that HFI does not affect all communities equally. Because of systemic racism, oppression and the historical and ongoing impacts of settler colonialism, many racialized and Indigenous Peoples continue to face barriers that exacerbate poverty and deepen material and health inequities. These inequities are reflected in the heightened rates of HFI among Black (46.7%) and Indigenous Peoples (39.9%) compared to white people (21.6%), as well as among racialized workers, particularly those in low-wage, short-term, part-time or precarious employment. The vulnerability is further compounded by geographic isolation, which makes it significantly harder for First Nations, remote or fly in communities to access affordable nutritious food. Transportation hurdles and fewer food retailers mean these communities face inequities that urban residents rarely encounter.
Recommendations to Address Household Food Insecurity
HFI must be addressed through systemic, income-based policy interventions. ODPH calls for targeted government actions (provincial and federal levels, and cross-jurisdictional) on this growing crisis according to the following recommendations.
Provincial-level
- Ensure adequacy of social assistance programs
- Ensure adequacy of employment income
Cross-jurisdictional
- Acknowledge and act on the structural inequities affecting Black, Indigenous, and other racialized groups.
- Support Indigenous communities to define food sovereignty and advance self-determination of their own food systems.
- Ensure child benefits lift households with children out of poverty.
Federal-level
- Integrate measurable targets for reducing HFI into Canada’s Poverty Reduction Strategy.
- Ensure working-age Canadians (18-64 years) with disabilities are lifted out of poverty.
- Establish an income floor at or above Canada’s Official Poverty Line for working-age Canadians (18-64 years)
