Hon. Robert Black: Honourable colleagues, I rise today to highlight the issue of food insecurity in Canada.

Despite living in one of the world’s leading agricultural and agri-food nations, food insecurity is unfortunately not a new challenge for many Canadians. According to the PROOF team, an interdisciplinary research group at the University of Toronto, one in eight households were food insecure in 2018. This meant that 4.4 million people, including more than 1.2 million children, had difficulty accessing affordable and nutritious food across Canada.

The COVID-19 pandemic has further threatened families already at risk of food insecurity. In fact, according to a news release issued by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in August of this year, statistics show that one in seven Canadians have experienced food insecurity during the pandemic.

During these difficult and unprecedented times, the government did step up support for food banks and local food organizations that have been coping with higher demand and fewer resources. While they previously highlighted food insecurity as a top-of-mind issue, there was absolutely no mention of it when the time came for this year’s Speech from the Throne.

However, it was not just the fact that food security was explicitly left out of the speech. There was not a single mention of the labour shortage in the agriculture and agri-food industry, nor the impacts of climate change on Canada’s food supply. These issues are intrinsically linked to one another and, unless we start looking at fulsome solutions that address the bigger picture, I fear the issue of food security will only grow bigger.

As we approach the start of 2022, Canadians from coast to coast to coast can expect to see higher prices at our grocery stores. In fact, Canada’s Food Price Report 2021 predicted that the annual food expenditures would go up by as much as $695 when compared to 2020.

The 2022 edition of the report comes out tomorrow and will highlight that Canadians can expect food insecurity to become a growing issue in 2022 as the inflation rate and food prices continue to rise. The report states:

There will likely be more demand for and reliance on food programs or food banks if incomes do not rise to meet food expenditures and other basic needs.

While I’m proud to say that Canadians can continue to be confident in our food supply chain despite these rising prices, I am deeply concerned for those already facing challenges accessing the food they need.

I call on the government to begin addressing the necessary issues related to food security, including labour shortages in the agricultural sector and helping farmers as they work to make their operations more sustainable in the face of climate change.

The support of governments at all levels will be integral to making long-lasting changes that will help change the lives of Canadians for the better.

Honourable colleagues, as we approach the holiday season, I would like to encourage you, and all Canadians, to consider helping our less fortunate neighbours, friends and colleagues. You never know who may need a little extra support so, if you are able to do so, please support local food banks this holiday season.

Thank you, meegwetch.

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