A new Grey Bruce Public Health survey showed almost one in five Grey-Bruce households struggles to purchase the food they need and are food insecure.
The report, “The Cost of Eating Well & The Urgent Issue of Food Insecurity,” found the cost of groceries for a family of four in Grey-Bruce was $301 a week or $1,305 a month in 2023. If that family receives Ontario Works, it would have to spend nearly half of its monthly income on food to meet Canada’s Food Guide recommendations.
Public Health Manager Jason Weppler said a large number of people in the region cannot afford sufficient food and rent, as incomes and social assistance rates fail to keep pace with escalating costs.
"Basically 17.5 per cent of Grey Bruce households are struggling to purchase food or food insecure. So almost one in five, which is which is a fairly substantial number when you think about that because that means," he added. "They may be not getting the quality or the volume of food they need for healthy well being. So, this isn't an isolated issue, it is affecting a lot of people locally and across the country as well."
A single adult had to spend about $468 a month on food in 2023 to meet Canada’s Food Guide recommendations, however over 100 per cent of a single individual’s income on Ontario Works is required for housing alone at 112 per cent. That means there is nothing left to cover the $469 needed for food each month.
"We tend to think of this issue for people who maybe are unemployed or have gone through a challenging life circumstance but we are seeing more and more people who are employed, have decent paying jobs, and are still struggling to make ends meet," he continued. "And when you combine the cost of eating with the rising cost of rent and other transportation costs, for example, we do see that more and more families and individuals are struggling to make ends meet."
With the Canada Food Price Report projecting overall food prices to increase by 2.5 per cent to 4.5 per cent in 2024, Weppler warned the situation will likely get worse.
"We have seen some price indexing and a few different reports nationally that are projecting the overall food prices could increase between two and a half and four and a half percent in 2024," Weppler explained. "So as high as this number is for 2023, I think we can expect that when we do this exercise again next year, we'll continue to see that number rise."
Weppler pointed to the report, Household Food Insecurity in Canada, which showed in 2022, 18.7 per cent of Ontario households lived with food insecurity, up from 16.1 per cent of Ontario households that experienced food insecurity in 2021.
The average cost of groceries was reached by recording the lowest costs of 61 food items in twelve grocery stores from across Grey-Bruce based on Canada’s Food Guide recommendations for vegetables and fruit, whole grain foods, and protein. Weppler said the foods reflect Canadian eating and purchasing patterns.
"We are seeing food costs across the province and the country but also here locally in Grey Bruce, are rising fairly substantially, which is the challenge for for many families and individuals, whether you're working or not," Weppler stated. "So we are seeing a higher percentage of those who are even employed and experiencing some of these food insecurity problems. And we know that certainly relates to health as well. If you can't eat well, there's certainly health implications of that."
According to public health, the survey assumes that people have the knowledge, equipment, and skills to prepare food mostly from scratch. Prepared convenience foods or non-food items, such as toiletries, were not included in the survey.
"Food insecurity can lead to a number of health related issues. So you might be at increased risk for infectious disease," he continued. "Certainly for our seniors, you're at higher risk of falls and other injuries. It can lead to poor mental health outcomes and ultimately lead to chronic diseases."
Weppler urged all levels of government to address the issue of inadequate income.
"It's something that all levels of government need to put a renewed focus towards and look at what actions can be taken to address the issue because yeah, I think we've established that this issue is not going to go away, it's probably going to get worse," he advised. "So I think again, all levels of government certainly have a role to play whether it's locally municipally, or provincial, or federal levels as well."
