Advancing Food Security by Addressing Root Causes
Moved by M. Carr Seconded byC. Kitts WHEREAS access to adequate, nutritious, and culturally appropriate food is a basic human right, recognized under Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and affirmed by Canada’s endorsement of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights ; WHEREAS a growing number of households are experiencing episodic and chronic food insecurity ; WHEREAS food insecurity is defined as the inadequate or insecure access to food due to financial constraints or other barriers, and poses serious public health risks due to its association with higher rates of diseases, mental health challenges, and chronic health conditions; WHEREAS according to the Ottawa Food Bank’s 2024 Ottawa Hunger Report, the number of visits to food programs within its network has increased by 90% from 2019 ; WHEREAS In November 2024, Ottawa food banks provided food and household items for more than 52,800 visits, the highest number ever recorded; WHEREAS 59% of people accessing food banks in Ontario are in receipt of Social Assistance ; WHEREAS Community partners such as the Ottawa Food Bank network, Emergency Shelters, justice involved organization and Community Health and Resource Centers have been sounding the alarm on the impact of social assistance rates and the Ontario Works system that are failing to meet the needs of the most vulnerable residents; WHEREAS many municipalities in Ontario have declared a food insecurity emergency in response to the increasing needs and are advocating for significant policy changes to address income inequality; WHEREAS the Poverty Reduction Strategy was approved by Council in October 2024; WHEREAS a key pillar of this Strategy is Food Security, which prioritizes policy making, funding, and coordination to address the root causes of food insecurity; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Council direct staff to develop a strategy that will engage provincial and federal governments, other municipalities and community partners, including the Ottawa Food Bank network, Feed Ontario, and Food Banks Canada to address the root causes of food insecurity focusing on: Advocating to the Provincial government for improvements to social assistance programs including indexing social assistance rates to inflation and reviewing social assistance legislation that would permit greater income security for low-income residents; Advocating to the Federal government for strengthened and indexed income supports including Employment Insurance, Canada Child Benefit, Old Age Security, and the Canada Disability Benefit; Collaborate with City departments to implement Poverty Reduction Strategy priorities that promote equitable hiring practices, support access to decent work, and embed anti-racism measures in workplace policies and culture; Advocate with the Province to secure funding for organizations tackling food insecurity and the root causes, using a collective impact approach with community partners and individuals with lived experience to promote basic income, living wages, and tax benefits; and Recognize access to affordable housing as a root cause of food insecurity and align advocacy efforts with the City of Ottawa’s 10-Year Housing and Homelessness Plan refresh, scheduled for Q1 2026, to expand investments in deeply affordable and supportive housing as essential to reducing food insecurity. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this motion be shared by the Mayor to Premier Doug Ford, Prime Minister Mark Carney, all Ottawa Members of Provincial Parliament and Members of Parliament, as well as with the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) to amplify Ottawa’s voice in growing provincial and national commitments to address food insecurity.