Food Banks Canada Report Highlights Surge in Food Insecurity Across the Nation

A new report from Food Banks Canada reveals that the national food bank system is under severe strain due to escalating demand. The report, titled “Hunger Count 2024; Buckling Under the Strain,” aggregates data from 2,589 food banks and paints a grim picture of food insecurity in Canada. The agency says demand for food banks has increased 90 per cent in the past five years, and over 2 million Canadians each month rely on the services of food banks.

The food bank system is struggling to cope with the rising demand. Over the past year, nearly one in three food banks reported exhausting their food supplies before they could meet demand, while over half say they distributed less food than usual to prevent shortages. This is a marked change from 2021 when only 10 per cent of food banks reported running out of food, and only 20 per cent had to ration food to preserve supply.

According to Statistics Canada, nearly one in four Canadians now live in food-insecure households, a situation exacerbated by three years of soaring food inflation. While Food Banks Canada states that governments across the country are aware of the growing crisis, it criticizes the lack of response to the urgent needs of Canadians facing food insecurity.