Hunger is cruelly invisible in our society. Even though it may surround us, we hardly see it. But it’s always there.
With the latest Hunger Count published by Food Banks Canada, we have a better idea of how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected Canada’s food insecurity landscape. The news isn’t great.
According to an internal survey of food bank operators, the number of visits has gone up by more than 20 percent in the last two years. The highest observed increases were in Quebec, Ontario and Alberta. In Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, the rate of food bank visits decreased, but not by much. Visits to food banks in rural communities have gone down by 3.8 percent.
More Canadians are going hungry while our cost of living skyrockets. It’s not likely to get easier any time soon.
According to the report, food banks in larger urban centres were more likely to see very high increases in visits, likely driven by pandemic-related unemployment and layoffs. They were also more likely to see racialized groups. Food banks in smaller urban centres were more likely to see seniors and people with disabilities.
As a result, the report states, the pandemic has magnified systemic inequities in our society, despite all the programs put in place during the pandemic, worth well over $400 billion worth.
During the pandemic, $200 million was added to the Emergency Food Security Fund so food banks, related agencies and Indigenous organizations can keep helping struggling Canadians put food on the table. That funding was understandably beneficial for the food bank network during these unprecedented times.
The pandemic really showed why food banks need to exist and how they play an essential role in our economy. No government programs can deploy aid and respond as quickly or efficiently to market failures or systemic crises such as a pandemic.
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Programs created during the pandemic, such as the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), were quickly operationalized and delivered much-needed help to millions. That was an exceptional situation since the crisis hit the entire world almost at once.
But in normal times, there’s always a community out there or a family suddenly hit by food insecurity. Food banks are there to help right away. Food banks are anyone’s CERB, outside a pandemic. It’s as simple as that.
Food banks are communities helping communities. They often represent a network of people who want to help, working with those who need it.
And food banks are no longer warehouses in some obscure part of town. Most of them are no longer in the business of simply supplying calories to people needing food. The focus is mainly wellness and helping individuals and families get back on their feet. And they’re about pride, not shame, about joy, not chronic sorrow.
Miracles happen almost daily at food banks, but few people outside the network will notice. Food banks provide help without prejudice. They need to be celebrated, as they are truly wonders of the human spirit.
If you can, you should take a minute to support your local food bank with a monetary donation. They know how to work with cash and multiply dollars into thousands of meals. It’s impressive.
Food banks obviously also need donated food to operate. They rely on generous farmers, processors, grocers, events, and individual private donors to replenish their warehouses and networks.
But as we rescue more food across supply chains, food banks will be challenged by having less access to food surplus. Food costs are going up, which will likely make us all more frugal and careful with the food we buy and consume every day. Food banks will have to get more creative to procure food by working with new partners.
With the pandemic almost behind us, it will finally be easier for them to run campaigns safely again and rely on volunteers.
And finally, another noteworthy statistic from the report: 46 percent of food bank visitors live alone.
Many Canadians face a perfect storm of having to deal with higher housing and food costs while not benefiting from higher wages. And with our ageing population, the number of people in Canada living alone will increase. Close to 32 percent of households will have only one person by 2025.
We need to think about this as we try to help those who will experience acute food insecurity.
Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is senior director of the agri-food analytics lab and a professor in food distribution and policy at Dalhousie University.
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Njaa ni mbaya sana asiyeonekana katika jamii yetu. Ingawa huenda ikawa inatuzunguka, hatuoni sana. Lakini daima iko hapo. Kwa kuhesabu njaa ya hivi karibuni iliyochapishwa na Benki za Chakula Canada, tuna wazo bora la jinsi janga la COVID-19 limekuwa likigusa mazingira ya ukosefu wa usalama wa chakula nchini Canada. Habari si nzuri sana. Kulingana na utafiti uliofanywa na kampuni ya benki ya chakula, idadi ya wageni imepanda kwa zaidi ya asilimia 20 katika miaka miwili iliyopita. Ongezeko kubwa zaidi lilionekana huko Quebec, Ontario na Alberta. Katika Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia na New Brunswick, kiwango cha ziara za benki ya chakula kilipungua, lakini si kwa kiasi kikubwa. Kwa mfano, idadi ya watu wanaotembelea benki za chakula katika maeneo ya mashambani imepungua kwa asilimia 3.8. Wakanada wengi zaidi wanakabiliwa na njaa huku gharama zetu za maisha zikiongezeka sana. Haitakuwa rahisi hivi karibuni. Kulingana na ripoti hiyo, benki za chakula katika vituo vikubwa vya mijini zina uwezekano mkubwa wa kuona ongezeko kubwa sana la ziara, uwezekano unaosababishwa na ukosefu wa kazi ya kuajiriwa na kufutwa kazi kwa sababu ya janga hilo. Pia walikuwa na uwezekano mkubwa zaidi wa kuona vikundi vya rangi. Benki za chakula katika vituo vidogo vya mijini zilikuwa na uwezekano mkubwa wa kuona wazee na watu wenye ulemavu. "Tokeo ni kwamba janga hilo limeongeza ukosefu wa usawa katika jamii yetu, licha ya mipango yote iliyowekwa wakati wa janga hilo, yenye thamani ya zaidi ya dola bilioni 400.""" Wakati wa janga hilo, dola milioni 200 ziliongezwa kwenye Mfuko wa usalama wa chakula wa dharura ili benki za chakula, mashirika yanayohusiana na mashirika ya wenyeji wa Canada waweze kuendelea kusaidia Wakanada wanaopambana kuweka chakula meza. Ufadhili huo ulikuwa na manufaa kwa mtandao wa benki za chakula wakati huu usio na kifani. "Mgonjwa huu umeonyesha kwa nini benki za chakula zinahitaji kuwepo na jinsi zinavyofanya kazi muhimu katika uchumi wetu. """ Hakuna programu za serikali zinazoweza kupeleka misaada na kujibu haraka au kwa ufanisi kwa kushindwa kwa soko au mgogoro wa mfumo kama janga. "Mfumo wa ""de-institutionalization"" wa magonjwa ya akili ni kosa la gharama kubwa, na kazi ya kumaliza umaskini na ukosefu wa makazi inaanza tu, na mpango wa majaribio hutoa matumaini kwa watu wasio na makazi, na programu zilizoundwa wakati wa janga, kama vile Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), zilianzishwa haraka na kutoa msaada unaohitajika sana kwa mamilioni." Hiyo ilikuwa hali ya kipekee kwa kuwa mgogoro huo uligusa ulimwengu wote karibu kwa wakati mmoja. Lakini katika nyakati za kawaida, daima kuna jamii huko nje au familia ghafla hit na ukosefu wa usalama wa chakula. Benki za chakula zipo ili kusaidia mara moja. Benki za chakula ni CERB ya mtu yeyote, nje ya janga. Ni rahisi kama hiyo. Benki za chakula ni jamii zinazosaidia jamii. Mara nyingi wao huwakilisha mtandao wa watu wanaotaka kusaidia, wakifanya kazi pamoja na wale wanaohitaji msaada. Na benki za chakula si ghala tena katika sehemu fulani isiyojulikana ya mji. Wengi wao hawafanyi kazi ya kutoa kalori tu kwa watu wanaohitaji chakula. Lengo kuu ni ustawi na kusaidia watu binafsi na familia kupata nyuma juu ya miguu yao. Na ni kuhusu kiburi, si aibu, kuhusu furaha, si huzuni ya kudumu. Miujiza hutokea karibu kila siku katika benki za chakula, lakini ni watu wachache nje ya mtandao watakaotambua. Benki za chakula hutoa msaada bila ubaguzi. Zinatakiwa kusherehekewa, kwa kuwa kwa kweli ni maajabu ya roho ya kibinadamu. Ikiwa unaweza, chukua dakika moja kuunga mkono benki yako ya chakula ya eneo lako kwa mchango wa pesa. Wanajua jinsi ya kutumia pesa na kuzidisha dola katika maelfu ya chakula. Ni ya kuvutia. Ni wazi kwamba benki za chakula zinahitaji pia chakula kilichotolewa ili ziweze kufanya kazi. Wanategemea wakulima wakarimu, wasindikaji, wauzaji wa vyakula, matukio, na wafadhili binafsi ili kujaza ghala zao na mitandao. Lakini tunapoponya chakula zaidi katika minyororo ya usambazaji, benki za chakula zitapingwa kwa kuwa na upatikanaji mdogo wa ziada ya chakula. Gharama za chakula zinaongezeka, na hii inatufanya tuwe na uangalifu zaidi na kuhifadhi chakula tunachonunua kila siku. Benki za chakula zitahitaji kuwa na ubunifu zaidi kupata chakula kwa kufanya kazi na washirika wapya. """Kwa kuwa janga hilo limekaribia kutuacha nyuma, hatimaye itakuwa rahisi kwao kuendesha kampeni salama tena na kutegemea wajitoleaji." Kwa mujibu wa ripoti hiyo, asilimia 46 ya wageni wa benki za chakula wanaishi peke yao. Wakanada wengi wanakabiliwa na dhoruba kamili ya kukabiliana na gharama za juu za makazi na chakula wakati hawafaidiki na mishahara ya juu. Kwa sababu ya uzee wa idadi ya watu, idadi ya watu wanaoishi peke yao nchini Canada inaongezeka. Karibu asilimia 32 ya nyumba zitakuwa na mtu mmoja tu kufikia 2025. Tunahitaji kufikiria jambo hili tunapojaribu kuwasaidia wale watakaokabili ukosefu mkubwa wa usalama wa chakula. Sylvain Charlebois, Mkurugenzi Mtendaji wa Maabara ya Uchambuzi wa Chakula na Chakula, Chuo Kikuu cha Dalhousie Kwa maombi ya mahojiano, bonyeza hapa. Troy Media ni mtoaji wa maudhui ya uhariri kwa vyombo vya habari na vyombo vyake vya habari vya jamii vilivyopangwa kote Canada.