Item - 2016.HL14.3

The Board of Health: 

1.  Reiterated its request to the Ministry of Community and Social Services to increase social assistance rates to a level that supports household food security based on annual results from the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care's Nutritious Food Basket survey. 

2.  Requested the Ontario government to prioritize development and implementation of a basic income guarantee pilot to help reduce poverty and improve income security.

3.  Requested that the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, as part of the modernization of the Ontario Public Health Standards, update the Nutritious Food Basket tool to more accurately reflect the true cost of eating per household, including food items that are ethno-culturally appropriate and pre-packaged.

4.  Forwarded the report (September 12, 2016) from the Acting Medical Officer of Health to the City of Toronto's General Managers of Employment and Social Services; Shelter, Support and Housing Administration; Children’s Services; Affordable Housing Office; Economic Development and Culture; Social Development, Finance and Administration; Urban HEART @ Toronto; Ontario Ministers of Health and Long-Term Care, Community and Social Services, and Children and Youth Services; Chief Medical Officer of Health of Ontario; Public Health Ontario; the Association of Local Public Health Agencies; the Ontario Public Health Association; the Association of Ontario Health Centres; the Ontario Society of Nutrition Professionals in Public Health; Dietitians of Canada; and the five Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) in the Greater Toronto area.

This report provides an update on the results of the annual Nutritious Food Basket survey, which tracks the affordability of healthy foods for individuals and families in Toronto. In 2016, the estimated weekly cost of the Nutritious Food Basket for a reference family of four in Toronto is $198.34 ($858.81 per month).  This represents an increase of 1.4 percent from 2015. 

In Toronto, one in eight households experiences food insecurity. Low wages, inadequate social assistance rates combined with high costs of housing, childcare and other basic necessities are obstacles to accessing healthy food.  Food insecurity is a public health issue because it is linked to negative health outcomes. Recent improvements in the federal child benefits are positive steps that will help low income families struggling to make ends meet. However, more needs to be done to ensure all vulnerable populations have access to affordable, sufficient, safe, nutritious and culturally-acceptable food. The root cause of food insecurity is poverty and an income response is required to effectively address the problem.