A coalition of food banks is calling on the government to implement a "guaranteed liveable basic income" amid growing food insecurity in Canada.
The move comes as more "working poor" utilize such services across the country.
Among those who have signed on to the "Put Food Banks out of Business" campaign are the Ottawa Food Bank, Food Banks Mississauga, Hamilton Food Share, Feed The Need Durham, Toronto Vegetarian Food Bank, Afri-Can Food Basket, and Food Banks BC.
"In BC, a full-time minimum wage job only covers two-thirds of a person's essential living expenses," Food Banks BC Executive Director Dan Huang-Taylor said. "The 'working poor' are one of the fastest-growing groups turning to food banks."
According to Food Banks Canada, there were over 2 million monthly visits to food banks across the country in 2024, the highest numbers on record. Since 2019, the number of visitors with employment has risen from 12.1% to 18.1%, while the number of visitors on social assistance dropped from 40.1% to 27.7%.
"Social assistance, disability supports, and other government benefits are not keeping pace with the cost of living, leaving many people on fixed incomes entrenched in poverty with no option other than accessing their local food bank," Huang-Taylor added. "Urgent action to address this crisis is needed now. Introducing a guaranteed liveable basic income would represent a massive step towards a future where food banks are a thing of the past."
Non-profit group Food Secure Canada has also joined the movement, warning that "food banks and charitable models cannot solve poverty."
"A basic income would reduce poverty rates in Canada, while also addressing household food insecurity, food related health issues, and the enormous strain on healthcare that poverty causes," Co-Executive Director Marissa Alexander explained. "Food and housing are the biggest concerns for people across Canada right now and they should not have to decide between rent or food when a basic income could impact both."
The campaign has argued that while implementing a guaranteed liveable basic income would be expensive, the financial burden poverty places on the country is higher.