Food security finally an election issue

Liberals, Conservatives talk hunger on campaign trail, writes

It was with great interest that I watched Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole's recent campaign event at an egg farm in Sainte-Hyacinthe, Que., where he announced his party's commitment to funding a research and development centre for food self-sufficiency.

It's not every day that food policy takes centre stage in the daily political horse race. But there was O'Toole, acknowledging that “an important lesson from the pandemic is that food autonomy is essential for the well-being of Canadians and Quebecers,” and committing to having Canada be better prepared in the future.

The Conservative leader is not the only politician who has had the idea to focus on food policy. It was also around this time last summer that Agriculture Minister Marie Claude-Bibeau, passed through Sainte-Hyacinthe to make an announcement at a local egg farm.

In that case, the minister was announcing the $50-million Surplus Food Rescue Program, an early-pandemic government initiative by which farmers could sell surplus food like fruits or vegetables to food-rescue charities such as Second Harvest. This helped us to prevent 10 million pounds of food from going to waste. The program was so successful that just three days before O'Toole made his own announcement on food policy, we were granted another $25 million to purchase more surplus food, supporting producers and transporting it across Canada to those in need.

It has long been a rite of passage for politicians to be seen on the campaign trail eating food, but much less common to hear them out talking about it, especially in a serious policy capacity.

There has never been a more important time for us to talk about issues like hunger, food waste and food insecurity, because the pandemic has thrown these issues into sharp relief. Polls indicate that the economy and economic recovery are two of the top issues concerning Canadians.

For millions more Canadians in this election, the stakes are real. By our estimate, some 5.6 million Canadians are now food insecure — an increase of more than 1.6 million from before the pandemic. For these millions of voters, hunger is the kind of pocketbook issue that can determine how they vote.

But this issue goes far beyond just those Canadians who are experiencing hunger.

Others experienced different, less dire firsts: the first time they reached for a particular ingredient on a supermarket shelf only to find the supply chain had failed to deliver, or delivered at an increased price; or the first time they realized just how much food waste we produce in an average day of eating at home; or the first time they understood how many of their friends or neighbours were in a precarious enough position that they might not know where their next meal will come from.

The time may well have come for an election that takes food policy seriously. We have seen during the pandemic how innovative policy approaches like the Surplus Food Rescue Program can be a political winner. Farmers avoid having the fruits of their labour go to waste; charities and non-profits get an infusion of resources; and people experiencing hunger get a fresh, nutritious meal.

It will be worth watching closely to see how the other parties might follow suit and emphasize food policy in their own respective platforms. For now, it is heartening enough to see the two primary contenders give this important issue the attention it has long deserved.