Chances are, you or someone you know has faced food insecurity before.
In fact, almost one of every seven households in Canada has, according to Karen Theriault with Feed Nova Scotia.
Today is World Food Day — a day aimed at raising awareness about food insecurity.
While the idea of tackling food insecurity is often linked with ideas of volunteering or donating to food banks, Theriault says today is a good day to recognize that the solution isn’t so simple.
Low wages, skyrocketing housing costs and poor government support for those experiencing poverty all contribute to food insecurity, Theriault says.
“People are faced with these impossible choices of ‘do I buy the food that I need or do I pay my rent or do I pay my heat?’”
Rather, Theriault suggests, the solution is two-pronged. Donating food or money helps ease the short term pains, but getting to the root of the problem requires legislative change.
“We need those people [who donate] to use their same passion and empathy for their neighbours to speak up and say… ‘okay government, we actually need bigger solutions here’,” she says.
Theriault isn’t discouraging people from donating to food banks or volunteering, but suggests also lobbying for long-term solutions.
She also challenges people to think about what they can do to tackle food insecurity in Nova Scotia. For example, business owners could ask themselves if they can pay more than minimum wage, she says.
If you are planning to donate to a food bank, don’t just give those old cans from the back of your cupboard, she says. It’s best to call the foodbank you’re donating too and ask what they need.
“If you’re considering making a donation to your local foodbank… think as if you were giving a gift to someone that you know,” Theriault says. “You know that food is going to be the meal they enjoy that day or that snack is going to end up in their lunch. What would you want that to be?”
When choosing foods to donate, she says it’s best to pick foods that you would eat yourself.
