{"id":46568,"date":"2025-04-26T08:00:46","date_gmt":"2025-04-26T08:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/feedontario.ca\/?post_type=story&p=46568"},"modified":"2025-04-30T18:18:06","modified_gmt":"2025-04-30T18:18:06","slug":"la-securite-alimentaire-est-la-securite-nationale","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/feedontario.ca\/fr\/story\/food-security-is-national-security\/","title":{"rendered":"La s\u00e9curit\u00e9 alimentaire est une s\u00e9curit\u00e9 nationale"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Carolyn Stewart, CEO of Feed Ontario, and Neil Hetherington, CEO of Daily Bread Food Bank<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Over the last few months, the national conversation has shifted from the affordability crisis to the existential challenges of a trade war and threats of annexation. There has rightfully been a great deal of focus on how to keep Canada safe, strong and free. However, this discourse around maintaining our sovereignty is missing a critical piece: the importance of ensuring everyone in Canada can meet their basic needs, like household food security.<\/p>\n

Achieving food security for all Canadians requires both a strong economy and a robust social safety net \u2014 one cannot be neglected in favour of the other. As food banks, we see firsthand how inadequate support programs drive up demand for food charities. While the call for stronger social supports is often framed in terms of human rights and morality (and rightfully so), we must also recognize the significant strategic importance of food security. When people are unable to meet their basic needs, it undermines and even threatens Canada\u2019s resilience, safety and sovereignty.<\/p>\n

The reality is that we are deep in the midst of a food insecurity crisis. Far too many of our neighbours are struggling to feed themselves and their families. Severe food insecurity<\/a> has risen nearly 90% since the pandemic, with 1 in 16 Canadians reporting that they have no choice but to skip meals or go entire days without eating because they cannot afford the food they need. Across the country, this has resulted in record-high levels of food bank use. In Ontario, we surpassed a once-unfathomable milestone of more than one million people turning to a food bank<\/a> for help last year. Toronto\u2019s Daily Bread Food Bank saw over 3.75 million food bank visits in 2024<\/a>, a historic high that\u2019s over 4.5 times pre-pandemic levels and led to the city becoming one of three municipalities in the province to declare a food insecurity emergency.<\/p>\n

Growing demand is putting increased pressure on an already overstretched system. Even prior to the trade war and its potential impact, nearly half of the food banks in the Feed Ontario network had no choice but to reduce the amount of food provided because resources have not kept pace with the need in their communities. After facing eight consecutive years of growth in client visits \u2014 and with fewer people in a position to donate \u2014 food banks have reached a breaking point. The level of support they were once able to provide is no longer there, just when it is needed most.<\/p>\n

We need our elected officials to pay attention. Experts in national security have warned Canadians that food insecurity is a major weakness that could be exploited by other countries that wish to destabilize and annex Canada. In a recent interview<\/a>, Neil Bisson, director of the Global Intelligence Knowledge Network, said that \u201cif you have individuals who are concerned about where their next meal is coming from or if they\u2019re going to get a roof over their head, that supersedes sovereignty.\u201d Ward Elcock, former Director of CSIS, agreed, saying \u201cif Canada is really impoverished, people may start to think about [annexation].\u201d Research shows that food insecurity contributes to civic unrest and political instability.<\/p>\n

Leaders at every level need to treat food insecurity for what it truly is \u2014 a warning sign of possible instability to come. While standing up against unjust tariffs is essential, so is investing in the social safety net that will keep Canadians from falling through the cracks. We\u2019re calling upon policymakers to commit to more affordable housing, quality employment opportunities, and federal and provincial social supports that work together and not against each other. A strong nation is one that takes care of its people and ensures that no one is left behind. As we head to the polls to determine the future of our country, we must choose a Canada that is safe, secure and resilient \u2014 one that does not include hunger.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":46569,"template":"","theme":[28,49],"class_list":["post-46568","story","type-story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nFood security is national security - Feed Ontario<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Carolyn Stewart and Neil Hetherington on how food security is intertwined with political stability, and why it's key to reduce poverty in Canada. 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