Often, hunger is a word we associate with African, Latin American or South-Asian developing countries. Unfortunately, we tend to forget that it is also a reality in the richest nations of the world, Canada included. According to Food Banks Canada, 13% of Canadians live in a state of food insecurity, meaning they have no access to safe and nutritious food in sufficient quantities. This works out to approximately 1 in 8 Canadian families considered to be food insecure.
The situation is particularly alarming in Northern Canada, where First Nations, Inuit, and Métis populations experience a combination of factors that seriously threaten their food security. While their consumption of traditional food has been continuously decreasing, often these populations cannot afford to shop at grocery stores, where prices are extremely high due to transportation costs. For example, the same bag of apples you would find in a traditional grocery store in Toronto is approximately 200% more expensive in the North. Limited job opportunities and low incomes negatively contribute to a situation that Food Banks Canada has deemed a “public health emergency”.
Simply assessing hunger and food insecurity is not enough and therefore many individuals and organizations have dedicated time and resources to propose a variety of sustainable solutions, at various scales. The remarkable work of Food Banks Canada and its network of partners and volunteers is an example of this. Each month, 850,000 people visit food banks, among them, one third are children and young adults.
Their approach goes beyond feeding. The banks work to provide training on nutrition, growing food at home, and preparing healthy meals. Their Community Gardens Program is a fantastic way to involve recipients, boost their self-confidence, and teach them how to cook nutritious meals at an affordable cost.
At Turmeric Teas we are extraordinarily proud to say that with every product purchase, one meal is donated to Food Banks Canada. We strive to not only make a difference in the health of our consumers, but to benefit the lives of Canadians less fortunate.
For more information on our partnership with Food Banks Canada please click here.
Written by: Bénédicte Lê Quang