The Read Feed is a recurring feature in the Food First NL monthly newsletter. It provides a brief summary of the latest news articles and musings on topics related to food insecurity and the right to food in Newfoundland and Labrador.
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This content first appeared in the December 2023 newsletter.
The holiday season is filled with calls for generosity, with food banks and food drives regularly making headlines and news feeds. This focus on charitable food giving can be uncomfortable for people focused on long-term solutions to food insecurity. We know that food insecurity is an income issue — not a food issue — and needs income-based solutions. Yet the fact that food charities are not the answer to food insecurity does not lessen the fact that many people access them for food. This will continue to be true until we address the root causes of food insecurity. This month's read feed is about holiday giving, short-term responses, and long-term solutions to food insecurity.
As a short-term response to food insecurity, food banks and other food charities are seeing a massive increase in clients and requests. There's no question that now is a great time to donate if you can.
As a general rule of thumb, cash donations are best. Cash allows the program to direct resources to areas that need it most and leverage bulk-buying powers. If you want to donate items, take a look at the food charity’s website or social media first. While things like canned tuna, dried pasta, and breakfast cereals are common asks, they may have special requests (e.g. baby formula or personal hygiene items).
To create a long-term solution to food insecurity, we need to advocate for addressing the root causes. Over the next month, take a moment to write a letter to your elected officials at the municipal, provincial, and federal levels. We can voice our support for actions that reduce poverty, including increasing the minimum wage, increasing income supports and indexing them to inflation, and providing a guaranteed liveable basic income. Another approach is to echo our friends at Food Banks Canada and ask, “When is it enough?” Food insecurity is a worsening problem. The louder the conversation gets about long-term solutions, the better.
During the holiday season, we can also have conversations with a friend, coworker, or family member. Let’s change the story that’s told about food insecurity and the folks who experience it. Let’s make it clear that increasing incomes — not food banks — help fix the problem. Let’s talk about how everyone should be able to eat with joy and dignity. It’s time to move the story forward to include systems change and destigmatizing food insecurity.
