Addressing household food insecurity in Canada: learning from the COVID-19 pandemic

Household food insecurity refers to the inability of individuals and families to afford the food they need because of financial constraints. In 2017-18, over 4.4 million Canadians were affected by food insecurity and this number appears to have risen through the COVID-19 pandemic. This is concerning because compared to other Canadians, those who are food insecure have poorer physical and mental health and much higher risks of chronic disease and premature death. So, food insecurity places a heavy burden on our health care system. Losses in employment incomes through the pandemic could be expected to increase household food insecurity in Canada, but the extent to which these hardships have been offset by federal income and wage subsidy programs is unknown. We will analyze national population survey data collected from 2019 through 2021 to identify the household circumstances and employment conditions associated with household food insecurity before and during the pandemic. We will also determine how the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) and Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB) have affected households' food security. Our research findings will help inform the development of more effective policies and programs to prevent and reduce food insecurity in Canada.