You likely know people who are experiencing food insecurity. However, it is unlikely that you know who they are, and the answer might surprise you. I know I was.
For the past two years, I have worked for the United Way of Bruce Grey informing, educating, and correcting misconceptions about food insecurity in rural Ontario specifically and in Canada in general. I was fortunate to be able to use the NPX tool FOODBRUCEGREY.COM to demonstrate the size and scope of food insecurity in our region to assist in advocacy. Hunger is not isolated to our region isn’t isolated, hunger is an issue everywhere in Canada, mostly because, food insecurity is a hidden problem.
I have spoken at conferences and service organizations, to political leaders, to the media, and to anyone who will listen that Canada’s hunger issue is on a chronic scale. These are things that everyone should know about hunger in our country.
Nationally one in seven people do not have enough food to eat daily. In our region, Grey/Bruce, the number is one in five, according to the Poverty Task Force. Most Canadians see how wealthy our communities are, they see food everywhere, which is one of the first misconceptions that we must overcome.
58% of all the food produced in Canada ends up in landfills across the country. This figure, from Second Harvest Canada, is staggering. Food is being wasted at every step of processing from the field to your kitchen. Some crops are not harvested because there is no market for them, some are lost in processing and transportation, some are not sold and become surplus, and some are wasted by consumers.
Much of this food could be rescued or diverted to people who can use it. Many grocery stores are participating in Food Rescue projects. Food Rescue diverted safe, unused food to Community Meal Programs and Food Banks. Additionally, restaurants and other organizations are donating excess supplies in much the same way. Farmers are working with community volunteers to “glean” or harvest unsold excess produce from their fields at the end of the season for food organizations to us. Individuals can also donate food items, all of which help to reduce the food being wasted.
Not only do we have enough food in this country to eliminate food insecurity, but because we waste so much, we are contributing to one of the largest sources of global warming. If all the food waste was measured, it would rank as the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases on the planet.
Food insecurity is a problem; however, it’s a symptom of two overarching issues, poverty and the lack of affordable and safe housing.
The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation standard is that we should spend between 30 and 40% of our income on housing. The reality is that many people who do not have enough food (food insecure) are spending 80 to 100% of their income on housing because of a combination of low income and high costs for housing.
Currently, the minimum wage for many jurisdictions is around $15/hr; however, the living wage is closer to $20/hr. A living wage is defined as the income that a person needs to earn to cover their basic living costs. Poverty is real in Canada. People you know and people in our communities are making difficult choices every day on which bills to pay, which days not to eat, and finding ways to make the impossible bearable. Geared-to-income housing would help, but the waiting list in our community is five years. Even then, in many communities, renting is more expensive than owning, if you can find a place to live. Inflation, supply issues, and the ongoing effects of Covid-19 have only made the problem worse.
Food Banks and Community Meal programs alleviate hunger and food insecurity, but they do not eliminate food insecurity. This distinction is important to appreciate. We need to continue to support food banks and community meal programs more than ever before to feed people today. We also need to lobby all levels of government to introduce and strengthen programs to eliminate poverty and to build and maintain safe and affordable (geared-to-income) housing. This duality is not mutually exclusive, and we must do both.
Building awareness of the size and scope of food insecurity is important. Until NPX created FOODBRUCEGREY.COM, there has not been a readily available, publicly accessible data source. In just 6 weeks late in 2020, NPX created a tool, the first in Canada, that gives decision-makers, funders, government leaders, the media, and the public access to real and up-to-date data from front-line organizations. We have used this tool to make presentations to colleges, universities, and high schools; to service groups; to the media; and to all levels of government. By showing the size and scope of the issue, we have been able to start conversations and break down many of the misconceptions about people experiencing hunger.
Most people think that food insecure people are homeless. One of the biggest misconceptions is about who is hungry in our communities. Some are homeless, but many are senior citizens trying to live on fixed incomes, single parents, people working in low- or middle-income jobs, and students at all levels; food insecurity is a hidden issue full of stigmas and embarrassment. According to the data, only one in four people who should use a food bank does.
In my region of Grey/Bruce, more than 15,000 students utilize breakfast and lunch programs because they have not had enough or anything to eat for breakfast each day. Since the beginning of 2020 demand for community meal programs has increased by more than 300% and continues to rise.
Too many people think that food banks are the solution to food insecurity. Another misconception among many people is that food banks provide as much food as their clients need. While Food Banks do excellent work the amount of food provided varies from 3 or 4 days to up to two weeks usually once per month. Many of these same people are completely unaware of the enormous contribution of community meal programs. Community gardens and gleaning programs help provide seasonal assistance to both food banks and meal programs. Until we address the root causes of food insecurity; however, these organizations are “band-aiding” the problems. Food Banks were meant to be temporary and now they have been helping for more than forty years, unless we do something now, we will still have them in another forty years.
Attitudes need to change. Bias and stigma are major impediments for people experiencing food insecurity. Unfortunately, too many food banks continue to use invasive intake forms which drive potential clients away. Well-meaning but judgemental volunteers can make that problem worse by failing to appreciate their client’s circumstances. Income cannot be the only determinant of who qualifies and who does. Extreme politicians who espouse “pulling yourself up by your bootstraps” fail to appreciate the circumstances in which people can find themselves. Some people experiencing food insecurity will avoid assistance because of their pride and having to acknowledge that they cannot provide for themselves or their families. Some seniors who have grown up with scarcity, believe that “other people need help more than them” and don’t take advantage of the available help. In some rural centers, food banks are hardly open, some as little as once per month for just a few hours. In some extreme cases, some food banks don’t even have any signs or posted hours. I have had volunteers tell me that signing isn’t necessary because “everyone knows where the food bank is,” despite overwhelming evidence that this isn’t true.
Some food donors are afraid of liability. Second Harvest does an incredible job of breaking down misconceptions. One of the most frustrating misconceptions is the mistaken belief among some potential donors to food rescue programs in the fear of liability. All provinces in Canada and many in the United States have legislation in place to protect donors from liability when they donate excess or unused food-to-food banks and meal programs.
Too many donors believe any administrative expenses for a charity are bad. Most charities and non-profit organizations rely on donations to raise money but are handicapped by the donor expectation that any money spent on administration is wasted money. This misconception hinders the delivery of services because organizations cannot afford to have any people execute the programs. Many of the grants that charities rely on to operate will not cover salaries. Many excellent people are working in these organizations who are living as precariously as some of their clients. Many work on month-to-month or annual contracts, which have no guarantees. Long-term sustainable funding is something that simply does not exist. Private industry would never function under the same microscope that many charities and non-profits are forced to operate under daily.
We need to educate people about the difference between “best before” dates and “expiry” dates. One of the leading causes of food wastage is that most people do not understand the difference between these two terms. There are only five categories of food that have an expiry date, check out this link to learn more SECOND HARVEST – LEARN ABOUT BEST BEFORE DATES AND EXPIRY DATES. For all other foods, they have a “Best Before Date” which many people think is an expiry date.
The “Best Before Date” is a completely arbitrary and unscientific date that the producer creates for “freshness” than “safety” and it is completely unregulated by the government. Unfortunately, most people will dispose of this food, or clients at food organizations will refuse to accept this food because of this misconception.
Second Harvest has excellent short e-learning programs, see the above link that takes only minutes but will literally save thousands of food products from being wasted. For example, for canned goods, unless the item is dented or rusty or shows obvious signs of spoilage, this food should be “safe” to consume for up to 1 year past the BEST BEFORE DATE.
Dry goods or shelf-stable goods that are sealed and do not show any signs of being spoiled by rodents or insects should also be “safe” to eat for up to 1 year as well. See Second Harvest’s excellent tool for a complete list SECOND HARVEST FOOD CONSUMPTION GUIDELINES.
I always thought I was well informed about the issues facing our communities. Over these past two years, I have been constantly shocked at my own lack of knowledge and misunderstanding. The organizers and volunteers who run your local food banks, meal programs, and community gardens deserve our praise and our support. Continue to donate food, money, and your time to food banks, meal programs, and community gardens. Ask your politicians and leaders “what they are going to do to help?” Have conversations about who is hungry in your communities. We all need to become aware of Food Insecurity issues and the underlying causes so we can make a difference.
We need your help,
Paul
Utterly pent content, Really enjoyed reading through.