Our 2024 Pre-Budget Submission to the Federal Government

Dear Minister Freeland,

The federal government has made significant policy and program commitments to work towards pressing social issues, including advancing poverty reduction, affordable housing, committing to the goal of “zero hunger” through the adoption of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in 2015, and launching the Food Policy for Canada in 2019 with the vision that “all Canadians can reliably access a sufficient amount of safe, nutritious and culturally diverse food” ¹.

However, rising inflation has dramatically affected the ability of individuals and households to afford basic necessities. Recently Statistics Canada reported that food insecurity has risen by almost 20%, an increase of 1.1 million people over the course of one year of data collection.  This increase is unprecedented. This impact is felt disproportionately by people with disabilities; 50% of people over the age of 15 experiencing food insecurity in Canada have a disability ².

Chief Statistician Anil Arora said food prices have increased 17 per cent and overall housing costs have risen from 38 per cent to 50% of a person’s income ³. That proportion is even worse for low-income people. The unacceptable fact is that 18.4% of people in Canada, including 24.3% of children, struggle to access the food they need . Indigenous and Black households in Canada are 3.5 times more likely to be food insecure, and single-parent households, women, and people who rent rather than own their dwelling are also disproportionately affected ^4,5.

The impacts of food insecurity are devastating and ultimately result in high social costs and lost human and economic potential. Food insecurity is associated with an increased incidence of chronic illness and mental health problems ⁶, which burden the health care system; people living with severe food insecurity cost the health care system an additional 120% more than those who are food secure ⁷.

Food insecurity is not a food scarcity issue – Canada produces plenty of food. Emergency relief provided by food banks and food donations help in the short-term but are not a sustainable solution ⁸. As the federal government has largely focused on supporting downstream relief in response to food insecurity, including $330M provided for emergency food in the last several years, a different policy-driven approach is urgently needed to meet the scale of the problem ⁹.   

Canadians care deeply about this issue. Based on a recent public opinion survey, 82% of Canadians believe the federal government should do more to help people struggling with poverty and hunger in Canada ¹⁰. In fact, 83% of Canadians feel that people going hungry in Canada goes against Canadian values; 86% of Canadians agree that the federal government should ensure no child goes hungry in Canada; and that people with disabilities should be supported to ensure they have access to healthy food and basic necessities ¹¹.

We believe the federal government has the opportunity to be a leader in Canada to address this crisis and achieve the vision of the Food Policy for Canada by:

1. Establishing a 50% reduction in food insecurity target to effectively mobilize a whole-of-government approach to tackle food insecurity.
2. Implementing a national school food program to provide all children with the nutrition they need to learn and thrive.
3. Creating a Groceries and Essentials Benefit to provide immediate assistance for Canadians in low-income households.
4. Developing effective regulations that implement an equitable Canada Disability Benefit (CDB), which alleviates disability poverty and food insecurity and meet its global obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Recommendation 1 – Encouraging cross-government collaboration through a united target

Given the economic, health, racial and social dimensions of food insecurity, effectively addressing food insecurity in Canada will only be possible by mobilizing a whole-of-government approach, bringing together Ministers and officials from across government with a clear mandate to mitigate the structural barriers to food security. Setting a target has broad support from Canada’s largest leading national food insecurity organizations including Food Banks Canada and Community Food Centres Canada and would position the federal government as a leader drawing in possible support and participation from other levels of government toward a national objective. We recommend the following commitments and actions be taken:

• That a 50% reduction in food insecurity by 2030 be included as an outcome of the Poverty Reduction Strategy. Rates of food insecurity are currently included as a key indicator in the Poverty Reduction dashboard.

• That this target seeks to eradicate severe food insecurity, aligned with Canada’s SDG commitment to end hunger, and alleviate the disproportionate impact on Black and Indigenous people, who suffer rates of food insecurity up to 3.5 times the national average.

• That a governance framework is implemented to elevate existing policy initiatives and coordinate program execution across Employment and Social Development Canada, Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, and Health Canada towards the reduction of food insecurity and reaching the target. The governance framework would include consistent consultation with Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada, key stakeholder organizations representing Indigenous and Black peoples, and the Poverty and Canadian Food Policy Advisory Councils. 

Recommendation 2 – Implement a national school food program

Canada is the only G7 country without a national school food program. Hunger has a profound impact on a child’s ability to learn, socially thrive and succeed in life. Yet 1.8 million Canadian children live in food insecure households. Building on the federal government’s commitment, we call on the government to:

• Implement a universal school food program with national scope that builds on existing provincial and municipal programs across the country on a cost-shared basis.

Recommendation 3 – Create a Groceries and Essentials Benefit to provide immediate assistance to low-income households.

Almost seven million people in Canada do not have stable access to sufficient food, and the number one reason for food insecurity is financial constraints ¹². These Canadians require high impact interventions for immediate relief. To this end, the federal government should:

• Create a Groceries and Essentials Benefit (GEB) to help low-income families purchase food.

The GEB remodels the GST tax credit program to provide increased payments to low-income households. The proposed benefit would build on the one-time Grocery Rebate and target households with working-age adults to provide $1,800 a year per adult and $600 per child. This represents the best option to reach a wide range of family types that experience food insecurity.

Recommendation 4 – Implement an Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) regulation that lifts people out of deep poverty.  

Immediate action is needed to help lift people with disabilities out of deep poverty. People with disabilities are especially vulnerable to food insecurity due to the added cost of living and presence of physical barriers – over 41% of people with incomes below the poverty line have a disability¹³ and as noted, 50% of people experiencing food insecurity, over the age of 15, have a disability.

The CDB will give people with disabilities the ability to meet their basic needs, preserve their independence and increase their contribution to society and the economy.  We recommend the following commitments and actions be taken to ensure CDB regulations are equitable and effective:

• Engage with the disability community in the development of these regulations.
  • To maximize impact, engage people with disabilities, their families and allies across Canada who are dedicated to advocating for those whose voices are not heard.
• Fast-track the design and implementation of the Canada Disability Benefit to provide a disability income support system that:
  • Is Individual income-based (versus family-income based)
  • Raises the income of people with disabilities above the poverty line
  • Stacks on top of existing disability benefits (e.g., CPP – Disability, Veteran’s Disability Benefits, Worker’s Compensation, EI-Sickness, private insurance and other disability support programs), and;
  • Is indexed to the cost of living

In addition to recommendations listed above, the Maple Leaf Centre for Food Security supports calls by our partner organization, Prosper Canada, to invest in financial help services for Canadians who have been hardest hit by the current affordability crisis, so they can obtain their current benefit entitlements.

Food charity and emergency food relief will not solve food insecurity. We need concerted, focused and timely action that delivers sustainable improvement. Moving quickly to implement the Canada Disability Benefit will provide critically needed relief for Canadians struggling with poverty disability. Similarly, executing a national school food program will support the learning and social wellbeing of our school children at a vital stage of their development. A proposed Groceries and Essentials Benefit would ease the financial constraints for low-income families that cannot access food. Finally, setting a target to reduce food insecurity and establishing a whole-of-government approach to meet that goal advances the vision of the Food Policy for Canada, reflects the will of the majority of Canadians, and aligns our domestic commitment with our global pledge to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goal to end hunger and will make a lasting impact in the lives of thousands of Canadians.

Thank you for your consideration,

Sarah Stern

Maple Leaf Centre for Food Security

CC:

About the Maple Leaf Centre for Food Security The Maple Leaf Centre for Food Security is a national charity committed to working collaboratively across sectors to reduce food insecurity in Canada. Established by Maple Leaf Foods in 2016, the Centre advocates for structural policy solutions and invests in knowledge building and programs that advance the capacity of people and communities to increase access to good food and reduce food insecurity. Three of our board members also sit on the Canadian Food Policy Advisory Council.

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