Sarion and Wilson: Federal politicians must not ignore the food security crisis
The city at the heart of federal politics is facing a food-insecurity crisis.
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Last year in Ottawa, a total of 556,232 visits were made to nearly 100 food programs in the Ottawa Food Bank's network. Twenty of those programs — including food banks, meal programs and food cupboards — located in Ottawa Centre, share an electoral riding with Parliament Hill. Food insecurity has never been worse in our city, affecting 25 per cent of households.
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If this is the state of the nation's capital, what does that mean for the rest of the country? More than two million visits were made to food banks in Canada last year, and food insecurity emergencies have been declared in nearby cities such as Kingston and Hawkesbury.
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When numbers like these come out, the same argument comes up: People who don't 'need' the food bank are accessing support. Blame is often shifted to certain demographics in ways that are sometimes quietly, and not-so-quietly, xenophobic or racist. No population is to blame for high food bank usage. Food insecurity has existed in Ottawa for at least 40 years and needs a permanent solution. We can't solve this by deciding who should or shouldn't be allowed to access food support. We can solve this by asking why so many people are accessing food programs in the first place. The answer? Policy.
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Social supports, the rising cost of living, foreign affairs and international trade: these are all aspects of federal policies that impact food insecurity here and across the country. Parliament shares a responsibility with provinces and municipalities by funding housing and health care, which directly impact food insecurity.
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In the 2024 Ottawa Hunger Report published by the Ottawa Food Bank, we see that many federally regulated benefits — such as Employment Insurance, the Canada Child Benefit and Disability Benefits — have not kept up with the increased cost of living. Ottawa Public Health's 2024 Nutritious Food Basket report, which looks at the state of food affordability in Ottawa, shows that many families who receive social support often end up in a deficit month after month. Families can't afford adequate food, or they are sacrificing other essentials such as utilities, medicine, childcare and transportation, to be able to buy groceries.
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