PROOF’s latest Food Insecurity in Canada report is out, reporting on Statistics Canada’s Canadian Income Survey (CIS) data from 2022. The results are clear: food insecurity is getting worse.
17.8% of households in the ten provinces had experienced food insecurity in the previous 12 months. That’s up from 15.9% in 2022.
Household food insecurity “refers to the inadequate or insecure access to food due to financial constraints.” Of the total number of food-insecure households, 5.1% experienced marginal food insecurity, 8.1% experienced moderate food insecurity, and 4.5% experienced severe food insecurity. For a refresher on the difference between marginal, moderate, and severe food insecurity, check out our food insecurity fact sheets.
Notably, the report does not include data on the territories or households on Indigenous reserves. However, other Canadian studies show that households in the territories or on Indigenous reserves tend to experience much higher rates of food insecurity than in the provinces.
Food Insecurity Numbers For Newfoundland And Labrador
For 2022, PROOF reports that:
22.9% of households in Newfoundland and Labrador experienced some degree of food insecurity in the previous 12 months, amounting to 116,000 people (26,000 more people than in 2021).
This is the highest rate in any of the ten provinces.
Our provincial food insecurity rate has increased from 17.8% reported in 2021 and has likely continued to rise since the data was collected.
The breakdown:
6.2% of households experienced severe food insecurity (4.5% in 2021).
9.9% of households experienced moderate food insecurity (8.6% in 2021).
6.8% of households experienced marginal food insecurity (4.8% in 2021).
More than 1 in 4 children under 18 (28.8%) lived in a food-insecure household (26.4% in 2021).
58% of households that received any income from social assistance experienced food insecurity*.
Half of all households that experienced food insecurity relied on wages, salaries, or self-employment incomes as their main source of income.
*The way PROOF measures household food insecurity for folks receiving social assistance changed in this report. This number can’t be compared to previous reports.
Other Trends Worth Noting
There are some areas where provincial data wasn’t available but are still important to note:
41% of female lone parents experienced food insecurity — this is much higher than any other household type.
28% of renters experience food insecurity.
Food insecurity is racialized.
39% of Black People experienced food insecurity.
33% of off-reserve Indigenous Peoples, including urban Indigenous Peoples, experienced food insecurity.
What Does This Tell Us?
This crisis is getting worse. Information from the PROOF report echoes what we heard in the HungerCount and the Poverty Report Card. More and more people are having a hard time putting food on the table, including those who are experiencing food insecurity for the first time.
More children under 18 are living in a food-insecure household. These kids may or may not have their diets affected — caregivers will often change what and how much they eat so their kids can have more. That said, living in a food-insecure household can have a negative and long-lasting impact on children’s well-being.
Incomes from social assistance and, for many, employment wages are inadequate. Even though the minimum wage increased in 2023, it is still well below a living wage ($18.85 in 2019 with an update coming soon). Similarly, social assistance rates have largely stayed the same and are below the poverty line. Rates are also not pegged to inflation. That means that a household relying on social assistance can’t purchase the same amount that they could last year because things have gotten more expensive.
The report also repeatedly highlights that food insecurity doesn’t exist on its own. Households that are experiencing food insecurity are also likely experiencing challenges affording the other costs of living, including housing, prescription drugs, and utilities.
The report also explains the health and well-being impacts of food insecurity (a social determinant of health). Folks living in food-insecure households are much more likely to develop chronic conditions and have mental and physical health concerns. Check out the Health Accord reports for more info on the social determinants of health in N.L.
What Needs To Happen?
Incomes need to increase in food-insecure households.
Food insecurity is caused by household incomes that are too low to meet basic needs and endure shocks to household budgets. Therefore, the main solution is to increase incomes.
“More action to reconcile wages, social assistance, and other income supports with the actual costs of living is needed to meaningfully address household food insecurity” (p. 5).
Income-based policies also need to work with policies around housing and affordability. There is a lot of overlap between people experiencing food insecurity and those affected by the housing crisis. We need to recognize that these issues go hand-in-hand and so must the solutions.
While the recently announced Poverty Reduction Plan has some important steps forward, it doesn’t go far enough or reach enough people. This crisis affects many more people than those who will receive support from the Plan’s actions.
Check out our recent blog post for thoughts on how the Plan can do more and our next steps.
22.9% of households experiencing food insecurity is far too many. We need impactful action by the provincial and federal governments now.
Read The Report
Li T, Fafard St-Germain AA, Tarasuk V. (2023) Household food insecurity in Canada, 2022. Toronto: Research to identify policy options to reduce food insecurity (PROOF). https://proof.utoronto.ca/resource/household-food-insecurity-in-canada-2022/
