Wednesday, federal agriculture minister Lawrence MacAulay announced up to $9.98 million in funding for community food projects through the fifth phase of the Local Food Infrastructure Fund, an outworking of the Food Policy for Canada.
Feds disburse funds on community food security projects
Since 2019 the Local Food Infrastructure Fund has committed $64.8 million to such projects
Canadian food inflation to slow through 2024, report says
More certainty has brought an uptick in grocer promotions, but consumers are struggling
Canadian food prices are expected to rise between 2.5 and 4.5 per cent in 2024, according to a new report.
“It is probable that Canadians will continue to experience the strain of food inflation compounded by increasing costs of housing, energy and various other expenditures,” according to Canada’s Food Price Report 2024.
Rural food banks see huge jump in visits
Inflation is hitting thousands of Albertans very hard
Reading Time: 6 minutes Food banks across the province, including those in rural communities, are seeing soaring demand. “Food bank use in Alberta has gone up 73 per cent since 2019,” said Arianna Scott, CEO of Food Banks Alberta. That’s more than double the 35 per cent rise seen nationally over the same period, but it is no surprise […] Read more
Drive Away Hunger food drive sets new record
Reading Time: < 1 minute Buoyed by the participation of a host of companies in the ag and food industry, this year’s Drive Away Hunger collected enough food and cash for more than 36 million meals, nearly double its goal. The campaign, which supports food banks and feeding programs across the country, was started by Farm Credit Canada nearly two […] Read more
Feds put up funds toward managing P.E.I. potato surplus
Ottawa budgets $28 million for distribution and disposal
Prince Edward Island potatoes locked out of the U.S. export market will go either to food banks or “environmentally-sound” disposal with new federal funding. Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau on Monday announced $28 million “to support the diversion of surplus potatoes, including help to redirect surplus potatoes to organizations addressing food insecurity and support for […] Read more
Small but mighty student group bridging gap between food banks and farms
Reading Time: 3 minutes When the pandemic struck, Cindy Zhang, a grad student from Calgary, wanted to do something to help those less fortunate. “I thought it would be great to connect farms to food banks, and also to communities in need and to churches as well,” she said. “We started reaching out to greenhouses when we noticed a […] Read more
Farm Credit Canada plans 20 million meals
Reading Time: < 1 minute Farm Credit Canada (FCC) says it is engaging the larger agriculture and food community in raising food and cash donations for its Drive Away Hunger program. “Food banks have told us how Drive Away Hunger has transformed their ability to feed hungry families and we think we can do even more to help,” said FCC […] Read more
Food banks expect surge as pandemic’s impact takes a toll
Government support has greatly helped, but making ends meet is getting tougher for many families
Reading Time: 3 minutes As the pandemic grinds on, food banks in Alberta are expecting a sharp rise in people needing help. They’re already seeing it in Lamont. The food bank in the town of 1,800 normally assists six to eight people, and their families, a week, said Colette McBride, a volunteer and chair of the County of Lamont […] Read more
BASF donation welcomed as food bank use increases
Reading Time: < 1 minute Farm Credit Canada’s Drive Away Hunger campaign got a boost from BASF Canada with a donation of 100,000 meals. “Now more than ever, our communities need our help,” said Jonathan Sweat, vice-president, Business Management, Agricultural Solutions for BASF Canada. “While a lot has changed in 2020, hunger hasn’t.” There are more than a million visits […] Read more
Feds line up projects for surplus food program
NGOs backed to gather, distribute 12 million kg of food
The federal government has lined up eight projects to source and distribute perishable produce, meat, eggs and seafood piling up across Canada due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the federal pandemic response, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced in early May that Ottawa would budget $50 million for a food surplus purchase program. The […] Read more
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