Colleagues, I rise today following World Hunger Day, which was May 28, 2023.

I also draw our attention to the dire fact that many Canadian children, youth and adults are experiencing hunger on a daily basis. We know that Northern, remote and Indigenous communities, marginalized and racialized communities and persons with disabilities also bear the brunt of food insecurity.

Food insecurity is defined as inadequate or insecure access to food because of financial constraints. According to the Canadian Income Survey of 2021, an alarming number of Canadians struggle with food insecurity, with almost 20% of households experiencing food insecurity at some point in 2021. This is approximately 7 million people and includes nearly 2 million children. This is a considerable increase from 2020, and these increases in food insecurity mainly affected families with children.

Why is this important? According to the Canadian Public Health Association, food insecurity is a social determinant of health, defined as “the social and economic factors that influence people’s health.” As a pediatrician, I had a front-row seat to seeing the effects of food insecurity on the physical and mental health and academic and learning outcomes of my patients.

According to PROOF, a research group at the University of Toronto, adults living in food-insecure homes are more vulnerable to infectious diseases; poor oral health; chronic conditions like depression, anxiety, heart disease and diabetes; and premature deaths. Simply put, food insecurity results in high costs to our health care budgets.

The 2021 report of the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs in the other place made several important recommendations, including “. . . recognizing that food sovereignty is a precondition to food security . . .” for Indigenous peoples and Northerners.

According to PROOF:

There is a strong body of evidence showing that food insecurity can be reduced through policy interventions that improve the incomes of low-income households.

Food insecurity and poverty are inextricably linked.

There is also evidence that school food programs have been found to improve school attendance, learning and academic performance and likely have positive physical and mental health outcomes, not just for children but for their families as well.

In closing, I urge you, colleagues, to think of the wasted and lost potential of our children, the suffering of Canadians who experience food insecurity and the cost to our society due to increasing health care and other costs and lost productivity. Let us not be afraid to use data and science, respect other ways of knowing from our Indigenous brothers and sisters, roll up our sleeves and get to work. Our children are depending on us.

Thank you. Meegwetch.