Food Security

🍽️ Food Insecurity: A Growing Crisis

In 2024, food insecurity is not just a problem for the developing world—it is a harsh reality for many Canadians as well. While food prices have been climbing steadily since 2013, the situation has now escalated to a level that is untenable. The stark truth is that large corporations like Loblaws are raking in billions, while millions of people struggle to feed themselves and their families.

The deepening divide between the wealthy and the vulnerable is driving more people into hunger and malnutrition, with families choosing between paying rent or buying nutritious food.

⚠️ The Return of Scurvy

Alarmingly, scurvy—a condition rarely seen in modern times—is making a comeback in Canada. This signals the severe lack of access to fresh, healthy food. We are so disconnected from our food sources that many no longer know how to grow, harvest, or even forage for basic nutrition.

🌱 Lost Traditions, Broken Systems

We’ve lost connection with traditional diets, like the Coast Salish diet. Meanwhile, food is shipped across the world, increasing our carbon footprint and further damaging our local food systems.

💔 Waste Amid Hunger

Our food system is also grossly wasteful. Grocery stores throw away edible produce for being "ugly", while milk gets dumped due to quotas. Children arrive at school hungry, and single parents skip meals so their children can eat. The reality is heartbreaking.

🥫 The Rise of Processed Food

Young people are increasingly dependent on cheap, ultra-processed foods—affordable but harmful. This affects not only physical health but also mental well-being.

💰 Food as a Commodity

Food has become a commodity, and corporations profit from every step—field to shelf. Agricultural giants like Dow, Monsanto, and Bayer prioritize profits over people, saturating our food with pesticides. Our farmers, our land, and our children are paying the price. It’s a crime what has happened to our food system.

🌍 Solutions from the Soil

But there is hope. We can fight back by:

• 🌿 Growing urban gardens and backyard food.
• 👨‍🌾 Supporting local and organic farmers.
• 🛒 Advocating for food sovereignty and fair access.

I saw the impact firsthand when I took my child to volunteer on an organic farm in Duncan, Vancouver Island. We also learned about simple, healthy eating in Oaxaca, Mexico—where fruits, beans, tortillas, and local eggs form a sustainable diet. This contrast to Canada’s overprocessed system was eye-opening.

🥫 Food Banks: A Broken Bandaid

Over 2 million Canadians now rely on food banks—many with jobs and homes. These services were meant to be temporary, but now they’re lifelines. The food is often limited, unhealthy, or expired. Dignity is stripped away in the process.

⚠️ Only 3 Days of Food?

I once heard that in a crisis, Vancouver Island could run out of food in just 3 days. That’s a frightening reminder of how fragile and centralized our food system has become. We must build local resilience and community networks.

✊ Let’s Reclaim Our Food Future

The issue of food insecurity is complex, but it’s not hopeless. We can:

• 🌱 Relearn ancestral knowledge.
• 🛠️ Share tools and land.
• 📣 Demand policy changes that support people over profit.

This blog will be a space for conversation, community, and change. Let’s fight for dignity, health, and our children’s future.

Let’s unite to grow a more just, healthy, and sustainable food system—together.