Date: 2025-05-11

Subject: Food Security in GTA

Executive Summary:

<aside> 💡 Every day in the GTA, 1 in 6 households struggle to put food on the table — that’s roughly 5.8 million Canadians, including 1.4 million children. Halal Hands previously known as the Milton Halal Food Bank has spent the last 12 years answering that crisis with compassion and action: 50 000 + neighbours served and 1 000 000 kg + of food distributed — all made possible by a community that refuses to let hunger win.

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5.8 Million People are Food Insecure Across Canada:

In 2021, 15.9% of households across ten provinces in Canada experienced some degree of food insecurity. This translates to about 5.8 million people, including 1.4 million children, living in households with inadequate or insecure access to food (1). The experiences of these households range from concerns about running out of food to the inability to afford a balanced diet, and in extreme cases, going hungry or not eating for whole days due to a lack of money (1).
The rate of food insecurity in Ontario was 16.1%, equating to over two million people living with food insecurity in the province. The rate of food insecurity among off-reserve Indigenous Peoples was 30.7%, and other studies have shown high vulnerability among on-reserve communities (2).

Food Insecurity = Worse Health:

Food insecurity is closely linked to individuals' health and wellbeing. People living in food-insecure households are more likely to face chronic physical and mental health problems, infectious diseases, and premature mortality. They are also more likely to be hospitalized, require mental health care services, and incur greater healthcare costs. The severity of these negative health outcomes increases with the severity of food insecurity (1).

Almost 1/3 Indigenous People Grapple with Food Insecurity

In the Greater Toronto Area, the grim reality of food insecurity unveils a Racialized dimension that disproportionately affects Indigenous communities. In 2021, Indigenous Peoples off-reserve in the ten provinces faced an extraordinary vulnerability to food insecurity, with almost a third (30.7%) grappling with inadequate access to nutritious food (3). This alarming statistic not only highlights the deep-seated inequalities within our society but also calls attention to the urgent need for targeted interventions to address this disparity.
The crisis of food insecurity is intricately linked to significant economic concerns, predominantly characterized by insufficient financial resources to meet basic needs. Unfortunately, the existing social safety net programs, which should ideally provide a cushion against food insecurity, seem to exacerbate the problem. Reliance on public income support programs often correlates with a high probability of food insecurity, indicating that these programs may be part of the problem rather than the solution (1).

The Government Recognizes This Issue, but they aren’t doing Enough:

The Canadian Income Survey (CIS) began collecting data about household food insecurity in 2019 as part of the Federal Poverty Reduction Strategy. This initiative was a significant step forward as it ensured consistent measurement of household food insecurity and recognized it as an important dimension of poverty for public policy to address (1).
The province of Quebec has been successful in addressing severe food insecurity through higher minimum wage and more generous social programs, which have resulted in consistently lower food insecurity rates compared to other provinces (2).

Introducing, Halal Hands:

Founded in 2014, Halal Hands previously known as Milton Halal Food Bank is a grassroots, Muslim-led charity that provides culturally appropriate, 100 % halal food and emergency relief to anyone in need. Our flagship Halal Food Supplement Project (Jan 1 – Dec 31) operates in Milton and Oakville, supplying weekly donations of halal food to food-banks so all communities have access to food that they can eat.