About 5.8 million Canadians, including 1.4 million children, lived in food-insecure households in 2021, according to a report done by the University of Toronto. .“We’ve seen no palpable improvement in food insecurity for low-income households in Canada,” said U of T nutritional sciences professor Valerie Tarasuk in a press release. .The report said 15.9% of households across ten provinces experienced some degree of food insecurity in the year before fall 2021, with little change since 2019. .Quebec had the lowest rate of food insecurity at 13.1% Since Quebec has shown less food insecurity than other provinces, Tarasuk said it “speaks to the power of provincial policy.” .Tarasuk said Quebec has less food insecurity because its social programs are more targeted to vulnerable people. She added some of these programs prioritize families with children, and all of them are indexed to inflation. .She went on to say Quebec’s lower rate warrants more study, so Canada can “continue to build on findings by our group and others that show the importance of higher minimum wage and more generous social programs for reducing food insecurity.”.The province with the second lowest amount of food insecurity was British Columbia (14.9%). This was followed by Prince Edward Island (15.3%), Ontario (16.1%), and Nova Scotia (17.7%). .The province with the most food insecurity was Alberta (20.3%). .The survey did not include on-reserve indigenous people, but the rate among off-reserve indigenous people was 30.7%. Other studies have indicated high vulnerability among on-reserve communities. .While this survey did not cover the territories, Statistics Canada said in 2020 the numbers were high. Nunavut had the highest percentage of food-insecure households (46.1%), followed by the Northwest Territories (23.1%) and Yukon (15.3%). .Tarasuk said it was surprising food insecurity did not appear to worsen during the COVID-19 pandemic. She said quick action by governments to implement income supports might have prevented more food insecurity. .She stressed how the problem has not lessened, and it could become worse. .“The situation now is that inflation and prices are skyrocketing,” she said. .“People with severe food insecurity will suffer more deprivation, and more often turn to acts of desperation in the face of hunger.”.The report drew on data from 54,000 households in Statistics Canada’s Canadian Income Survey for its findings. .Canada’s inflation rate was 7.6% in July, down from an 8.1% gain in June, said Statistics Canada. .READ MORE: Canada’s inflation rate dropped to 7.6% in July.Prices, excluding gas, rose 6.6% year over year in July, following a 6.5% increase in June. .Statistics Canada said food prices increased by 9.9% on a year-over-year basis. Prices for baked goods rose by 13.6% because wheat prices remain high.
About 5.8 million Canadians, including 1.4 million children, lived in food-insecure households in 2021, according to a report done by the University of Toronto. .“We’ve seen no palpable improvement in food insecurity for low-income households in Canada,” said U of T nutritional sciences professor Valerie Tarasuk in a press release. .The report said 15.9% of households across ten provinces experienced some degree of food insecurity in the year before fall 2021, with little change since 2019. .Quebec had the lowest rate of food insecurity at 13.1% Since Quebec has shown less food insecurity than other provinces, Tarasuk said it “speaks to the power of provincial policy.” .Tarasuk said Quebec has less food insecurity because its social programs are more targeted to vulnerable people. She added some of these programs prioritize families with children, and all of them are indexed to inflation. .She went on to say Quebec’s lower rate warrants more study, so Canada can “continue to build on findings by our group and others that show the importance of higher minimum wage and more generous social programs for reducing food insecurity.”.The province with the second lowest amount of food insecurity was British Columbia (14.9%). This was followed by Prince Edward Island (15.3%), Ontario (16.1%), and Nova Scotia (17.7%). .The province with the most food insecurity was Alberta (20.3%). .The survey did not include on-reserve indigenous people, but the rate among off-reserve indigenous people was 30.7%. Other studies have indicated high vulnerability among on-reserve communities. .While this survey did not cover the territories, Statistics Canada said in 2020 the numbers were high. Nunavut had the highest percentage of food-insecure households (46.1%), followed by the Northwest Territories (23.1%) and Yukon (15.3%). .Tarasuk said it was surprising food insecurity did not appear to worsen during the COVID-19 pandemic. She said quick action by governments to implement income supports might have prevented more food insecurity. .She stressed how the problem has not lessened, and it could become worse. .“The situation now is that inflation and prices are skyrocketing,” she said. .“People with severe food insecurity will suffer more deprivation, and more often turn to acts of desperation in the face of hunger.”.The report drew on data from 54,000 households in Statistics Canada’s Canadian Income Survey for its findings. .Canada’s inflation rate was 7.6% in July, down from an 8.1% gain in June, said Statistics Canada. .READ MORE: Canada’s inflation rate dropped to 7.6% in July.Prices, excluding gas, rose 6.6% year over year in July, following a 6.5% increase in June. .Statistics Canada said food prices increased by 9.9% on a year-over-year basis. Prices for baked goods rose by 13.6% because wheat prices remain high.
