By Mata Press Service

In a nation known for its agricultural abundance, 8.7 million Canadians—including 2.1 million children—struggled to afford food in 2023.

That figure represents one in four citizens and marks a 49 percent increase in food insecurity since 2020.

The deepening crisis has triggered a national outcry, as nearly 250 organizations have united to call on federal leaders to take immediate and decisive action.

Community Food Centres Canada (CFCC), in coordination with hundreds of civil society organizations, has issued an open letter urging party leaders to commit to a national plan to cut food insecurity in half by 2030. The letter also calls for modernizing the country’s social safety net and supporting Indigenous food sovereignty.

The appeal, part of CFCC’s #NoMoreScraps campaign, has been sent to federal leaders including Mark Carney, Pierre Poilievre, Jagmeet Singh, Yves-François Blanchet, Jonathan Pedneault, and Elizabeth May.

“Food insecurity is not a personal failure—it’s a systemic injustice,” said Nick Saul, CEO of Community Food Centres Canada.

“While the full impact of Trump’s economic policies are unfolding, we’re deeply concerned they will further exacerbate poverty and hunger. This crisis is a tipping point. It’s a wake-up call for our leaders to step up with bold, targeted investments in our social safety net.”

The pressure from civil society is reinforced by widespread public support. A new national survey conducted by Pollara for Food Banks Canada found that 92 percent of adults agree that no one in Canada should go hungry, and 84 percent agree that reducing hunger should be a non-partisan political priority.

The same survey found that 88 percent of respondents support the idea of setting firm national targets to reduce hunger and food insecurity.

“There is no partisan divide here. People across all political affiliations, age groups, and regions want leadership on this issue,” said Kirstin Beardsley, CEO of Food Banks Canada.

“Most importantly, folks from every corner of the country agree that, if we make the right choices, Canada has the resources to reverse soaring food bank visits.”

Food banks, which were never intended as permanent infrastructure, are now straining under the demand.

 More than two million people are accessing food banks across Canada each month. Many of them are working full-time jobs but still cannot afford basic necessities. According to the CFCC letter, 67 percent of food-insecure households in 2023 relied on employment income as their main source of support.

The organizations warn that the federal Employment Insurance system is outdated and inadequate, having seen little reform over the past several decades. Nearly half of households that relied on EI as their primary income source in 2022 still faced food insecurity.

Temporary government measures have failed to stem the tide, leaving charities overwhelmed and communities exposed to further economic strain.

The letter also points to global instability as a compounding factor. “The economic disruption caused by Trump’s tariff decision is already creating greater instability,” it states.

“Rising costs of essential goods will further strain household budgets, with price increases and job losses hitting the most vulnerable hardest.”

The coalition is calling for three core policy responses: the creation of a national food insecurity strategy with measurable targets and timelines; increased investment in income supports such as the Canada Child Benefit, the new Canada Disability Benefit, and a proposed Groceries and Essentials Benefit; and formal recognition of Indigenous food sovereignty, including protections for traditional harvesting, fishing, and hunting rights.

The open letter emphasizes that food insecurity is rooted in systemic inequality, particularly affecting Indigenous and Black communities.

It criticizes the failure of the labour market and social policies to provide basic stability for millions of Canadians, including those with jobs, families, and fixed incomes.

“As organizations working on the front lines, we see firsthand the human cost of hunger,” the letter states.

“We witness the toll it takes on individuals and families—physical and mental health suffering, children going to school hungry, workers exhausted from trying to make ends meet, and entire communities struggling to survive. Hunger is not a personal failure; it is a systemic failure—the result of policy choices and a labour market that fails to protect people from poverty.”

Kirstin Beardsley of Food Banks Canada echoed the urgency in her remarks, urging voters to make hunger a central issue in the upcoming election.

“This election is about the kind of country we want to be,” she said. “A Canada where no one goes hungry.”

Beardsley added that solving food insecurity requires political will and citizen engagement. “The real catalyst to reducing hunger in Canada is all of us—the voters—making our voices heard.”

As the federal election approaches, CFCC and Food Banks Canada are intensifying advocacy efforts to ensure food insecurity remains a central topic on the campaign trail. The message is clear: Canadians expect their leaders to act. For a country as wealthy and resource-rich as Canada, the persistence of widespread hunger is no longer seen as acceptable—by civil society, by the public, or by the growing number of Canadians forced to choose between rent and food.

Key Highlights from Canada Food Price Report 2025

Grocery bills to climb:

Food inflation persists:

Regional price differences:

Climate disruptions:



Currency concerns:

Changing consumer habits:

Food insecurity rising:

Policy on the horizon:

Labour solutions needed: Canada may require 71,000 foreign workers in agriculture and processing by 2030 without immediate policy changes.