On January 27th, 2025, Toronto officially declared a state of emergency for food insecurity. In under 3 months, 3 Ontario cities have declared a food insecurity emergency; Mississauga in November 2024, Toronto in December 2024, and Kingston in early January. Though food insecurity is not a new phenomenon in our city, with increased food prices, inflation and cost of living, it’s about time that we recognize this issue and make the strides to fix it.
According to the daily bread food bank, one in 10 people in Toronto are relying on food banks, among other forms of food aid. Last year, Toronto recorded 3.49 million visits to food banks between April 1, 2023, and March 31, 2024, which is an increase of 1 million from the previous year prior. This crisis disproportionately impacts already-marginalized groups, specifically those with low incomes, individuals on social assistance, people with disabilities, renters, newcomers and more. There is an urgent need for collective action to address the needs of the citizens in our city.
Read the Daily Bread Food Banks Who’s Hungry 2024 report to learn more about the demographics and extent of food insecurity in the city, and the 41 calls to action to spark systemic change.
