by Marie Tremblay, CFICE Volunteer
The end of March will see this year鈥檚 , an event during which youth across Canada pledge to starve themselves for 30 hours to raise awareness and understanding of famine globally. Although World Vision Canada鈥檚 30 Hour Famine aims to raise awareness about famine globally, it does target a problem that many families and individuals in Canada experience鈥攆ood insecurity.
Food insecurity affects certain populations in Canada more than others. The main factor that increases the likelihood of experiencing food insecurity is . These socioeconomic factors become increasingly important when paired with geographic location. This is why the most affected region is Northern Canada and why Indigenous people are more likely to be affected. According to a 2012 article from , Nunavut had the highest percentage of food insecure households (36.7%) with the Northwest Territories (13.7%) and Yukon (12.4%) as second and third highest. The national average, in comparison, is 8.3%.
These trends are also supported by other sources and organizations that look at food insecurity in Canada. In fact, a report by (FSC) shows that the average cost of food for a family of four in Toronto and Thunder Bay is聽approximately $900. In contrast, Attawapiskat, a First Nation in Ontario, averages at $2,000 a month for a family of the same size.
鈥渋s a pan-Canadian alliance…[with] three interlocking goals: zero hunger, healthy and safe food, and sustainable food systems鈥� in Canada. Amanda Wilson, a postdoctoral fellow working with FSC, describes their mandate as mainly advocating for policy changes that would allow them to 鈥渂uild the capacity of the food movement to engage in policy advocacy with the goal of a more just and healthy food system.” 鈥淲hether or not one is food secure impacts one鈥檚 health,鈥� states Wilson, 鈥淸and correlates] with chronic disease and food security and also poverty鈥攁ll these different ways where questions of food security, or lack thereof, have a ripple effect.鈥�
FSC focuses on food insecurity in the North through Nutrition North, a federal policy that aims to alleviate some of the costs related to food in Northern Canada. A main part of this would be to support communities in gaining what Wilson characterizes as 鈥渃ulturally appropriate foods.鈥� The FSC representative adds that this is important as current support to Northern communities is falling short. In fact, Wilson states, 鈥淚 think that there鈥檚 pretty well a consensus that the program as its currently being implemented is not working鈥ood is not being subsidized effectively in the North.鈥�
To advocate for changes in food policy, FSC works in partnership with other organizations. For instance the 2016 report released by FSC entitled was a collaborative work with partner organizations and scholars. These partnerships highlight how partnering with academic researchers and projects carries many benefits, especially in regards to funding. 鈥淲e just wouldn鈥檛 have the capacity to do that on our own, so that report was a great example of community/academic collaboration,鈥� Wilson states.
Infographic from the Paying for Nutrition Report.
FSC operates on what Wilson refers to as a 鈥渟hoestring budget,鈥� meaning that its funds can create limits in how FSC operates. 鈥淲e are a small organization compared to other national organizations,鈥� Wilson notes.
Academic researchers, for FSC, become important actors in terms of doing the research and supporting FSC鈥檚 efforts to change Canadian policies and promote the importance of food security. Wilson credits academics as doing a lot 鈥渙f the legwork鈥攇oing to communities, doing the food costing, generating the data, talking about the analysis鈥攕o it was a real project and process of community/academic collaboration which was so important for Food Secure Canada.鈥� This exemplifies how crucial community work and research by academics can be for smaller organizations. According to Wilson, as聽鈥渁 small but mighty organization, these relationships can be really important to enhance our capacity and make the case, [and] provide the evidence base that allows us to make really strong arguments.鈥�
In regards to CFICE, Wilson noted that 鈥渢he CFICE project is all about thinking through how do we engage in those types of relationships in the ways that are more effective, more valuable to community partners, so I think that taking the time to think through those partnerships is really important.鈥�
FSC tackles an important issue in Canada, and further academic research on food security and food policy should look at and contribute to FSC’s work. For more information on Food Secure Canada and their mandate, please visit .