Food Banks Canada calling on party leaders to make food insecurity an election issue

Food Banks Canada wants federal party leaders to lay out a plan to address food insecurity.

As federal party leaders travel the country laying out their vision for the next four years if elected, one national non-profit leader says a crucial issue is being ignored.

Kirstin Beardsley, the CEO of Food Banks Canada, says food insecurity is not being discussed – despite repeated reports about an alarming increase in foodbank use across the country.

“What we’re not hearing is any party take a proactive approach to reducing food insecurity in Canada,” said Beardsley.

Beardsley says food banks have seen a 90 per cent increase in usage nationally over the past five years and it’s time politicians start talking about how they plan to address that shocking statistic.

“I think in Canada the issue of food insecurity is a quiet issue, and we don’t talk about it enough,” she said.

In order to bring the topic to the forefront of this election Food Banks Canada commissioned a poll and it’s findings show Canadians are deeply concerned as well.

“What we found was that the overwhelming majority of folks across all party lines know that food insecurity is an issue,” said Beardsley.

The poll conducted by Pollara found that 92 per cent of Canadians agree that no one in Canada should ever go hungry. Eighty-eight per cent believe Canada should set clear hunger and insecurity goals while 86 per cent support the goal of cutting food insecurity in Canada in half by 2030.

“I think local food security as well as housing are two key items together. You need a place to live but you have to have food to eat,” said John Espley, co-owner of Blenkinsop Community Agricultral Centre.

Food security, particularly locally grown food is the goal at the Blenkinsop Community Agricultural Centre in Saanich. Espley says having locally grown food protect the supply.

The farm leases plots of land to be used by those who want to grow their own food but is pondering expansion, according to Espley.

“What we’re really hoping for is to work with some not-for-profits on the larger farm plots where they can grow for the community that they have to feed,” he said.

An initiative like that Espley said, would benefit from government support and federal funding.

“It would help them cover the lease,” he told CTV News, adding that funding alone won’t solve the problem.

“We also need to see broad systemic change if we hope to reduce the critical number of people facing food insecurity that we’re currently seeing.”

Food Banks Canada hopes that change will begin to be discussed on the campaign trail.