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e-4874 (Food and drink)
- Keywords
- Benefits for children
- Food supply
- Guaranteed annual income
- Indigenous peoples
- Northern Canada
E-petition
Initiated by Simran Sharma from Windsor, Ontario
Original language of petition: English
Petition to the Government of Canada
Whereas:
- In 2022, one in six Canadians lived in food-insecure households, representing the highest recorded rate;
- One in four Canadian children in the 10 provinces live in food-insecure households;
- In 2022, 33.4% of Indigenous peoples off-reserve in the 10 provinces and 41.2% of Indigenous peoples in the territories lived in food-insecure households;
- In 2021, the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs called upon the government for an Inuit-led reformation of the Nutrition North Canada program, highlighting its failure to address food insecurity;
- Food charity policies have not proven effective in addressing food insecurity, as most food-insecure households do not utilize charity. Conversely, research has identified reductions in food insecurity when low-income households transition to stable income support programs like public seniors' pensions; and
- Severely food-insecure adults in Ontario incur healthcare costs double those of food-secure adults and are at higher risk of hospitalization for physical and mental health issues, reliance on emergency care, and premature mortality.
We, the undersigned, citizens of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to:
1. Establish food insecurity as a policy priority and set targets for its reduction through policy initiatives, as currently there are no policy actions addressing food insecurity rates;
2. Work with Indigenous peoples and Northerners to co-create a strategy to address the high food insecurity rates in the North;
3. Improve support to low-income families through the Canada Child Benefit, given the high percentage of children living in food insecure households; and
4. Establish a basic income program for working age adults and their families.
- Open for signature
- April 24, 2024, at 4:32 p.m. (EDT)
- Closed for signature
- August 22, 2024, at 4:32 p.m. (EDT)
