Food Banks and Hunger

Les banques alimentaires et la faim

Updated December 17, 2009
Page révisée le 17 décembre 2009

Key Food Bank & Hunger Links in Canada: Food Security Bureau - incl. links to: * Canada's Action Plan for Food Security * Canada's Progress Report to the Committee on World Food Security in Implementing the World Food Summit Plan of Action * Canada's Second Progress Report to the FAO Committee on World Food Security on the implementation of Canada's Action Plan for Food Security in response to the World Food Summit Plan of Action * Canada's Third Progress Report on Food Security: In Response to the World Food Summit Plan of Action * Canada's Fourth Progress Report on Food Security: In Response to the World Food Summit Plan of Action Source: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada ---------------------------------------------------------- Food Banks Canada Food Banks Canada (formerly the Canadian Association of Food Banks) is a national charitable organization representing the food bank community across Canada. Our members and their respective agencies serve approximately 85% of people accessing emergency food programs nationwide. Our mission is to meet the short-term need for food and find long-term solutions to reduce hunger.

The Hunger Site Click on the graphic or text link to donate food

Low-income families in BC can’t afford healthy food
December 15, 2009
Vancouver, British Columbia – Imagine being $127 ‘in debt’ after your monthly rent is paid and you’ve bought groceries for you and your family, leaving no money for other necessities such as clothing, transportation and school supplies. According to the latest The Cost of Eating in BC report, this is the situation for a family of four living on income assistance in this province.

The Cost of Eating in BC 2009 by the Dietitians of Canada and the Community Nutritionists Council of BC demonstrates that it is impossible for families or individuals on income assistance or earning a low wage to afford enough healthy food. While shelter and food costs have risen significantly over the past decade, income assistance rates have remained virtually unchanged and minimum wage, once the highest in the country, has remained at $8.00/hour.

Complete report:

The Cost of Eating in BC 2009 (PDF - 4.6MB, 12 pages)
December 2009
Why do dietitians publish The Cost of Eating in BC report?
The purpose of the report is to bring attention to the fact that not all residents of British Columbia have enough money to purchase healthy food.
The facts in BC:
• The 2009 monthly cost of the nutritious food basket for a family of four is $872
• A family of four on income assistance would need more than 100% of their income for shelter and food only

Source:
Dietitians of Canada (includes links to a one-page media backgrounder and to earlier reports in this series (2001-2007)
[The Community Nutritionists Council of BC doesn't appear to have a website]

Related link:

‘It makes a huge difference’
By Kelly McManus
December 17, 2009
(...) With a monthly disposable income of $1,773, a family of four living on income assistance spends 49 per cent of its monthly income on food and 58 per cent of that cash on shelter. That leaves them $127 in the red, the [Cost of Eating] report says. The report also found that for those on low incomes, high costs for housing leave little money left over for food each month. In more remote communities, food can be more expensive and healthy choices can be limited.
Source:
North Shore Outlook - "Bringing BC’s Communities together"

- Go to the Non-Governmental Sites in British Columbia (D-W) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/bcbkmrk3.htm

What's new from the Daily Bread Food Bank and the
Caledon Institute of Social Policy:

Developing a Deprivation Index: The Research Process (PDF - 548K, 27 pages)
December 2, 2009
This paper tells the story of the development of the Ontario Deprivation Index by the Daily Bread Food Bank and the Caledon Institute of Social Policy. A ‘deprivation index’ is a list of items which are widely seen as necessary for a household to have a standard of living above the poverty level so that most households not in poverty are likely to have these items, but households in poverty are likely to find some of them unaffordable and so not have all those items. The index should therefore contain those items that distinguish the poor from the non-poor in the prevailing social and economic conditions.

A three-stage community-based research process was used to develop the measure, engaging those with lived experience of poverty. Statistics Canada has now refined this list and incorporated it as a supplement to their Labour Force Survey, under the sponsorship of the Government of Ontario. The result of the process was the creation of the Ontario Deprivation Index, which constitutes one part of the multi-indicator “Child and Youth Opportunity Wheel” in the Ontario Poverty Reduction Strategy. This is the first poverty measure to be developed through a unique partnership of a community organization, a policy think tank, government and Statistics Canada. It is also the first time a deprivation index has been developed in North America . The deprivation index is an innovative way of measuring poverty, different than all the other measures now used in Canada .

Testing the Validity of the Ontario Deprivation Index (PDF - 122K, 13 pages)
December 2, 2009
Using an empirical methodology based on a series of surveys and focus groups, Daily Bread Food Bank and the Caledon Institute of Social Policy have developed a deprivation index for Ontario . A ‘deprivation index’ is a list of items which are widely seen as necessary for a household to have a standard of living above the poverty level so that most households not in poverty are likely to have these items, but households in poverty are likely to find some of them unaffordable and so not have all those items. The index should therefore contain those items that distinguish the poor from the non-poor in the prevailing social and economic conditions.

This paper is a preliminary test of the validity of the Ontario Deprivation Index using the results of a Statistics Canada survey of 10,000 Ontario households. We look at the performance of the index against 6 variables: income, education, employment status, immigration, family type and housing tenure. A similar method for testing the validity of the new Irish deprivation index was also used, although in this paper we are presenting only the most basic tests. Based on this early analysis, the Ontario Deprivation Index fully meets the tests of validity in relation to these variables.

Source:
Daily Bread Food Bank
and
Caledon Institute of Social Policy
[NOTE: You'll also find links to both reports on the Caledon Institute website.]

Related links:

New measure for the pain of poverty
December 3, 2009
By Laurie Monsebraaten and Tanya Talaga
One in eight Ontario children live in families that can't afford fresh fruits and vegetables every day, or can't afford to replace a broken appliance or share the occasional meal with friends or family. These are a few of the 10 indicators listed in a new provincial poverty measure called the Ontario Deprivation Index, introduced Wednesday by Children's Minister Laurel Broten as part of the government's first annual report on the province's poverty reduction plan. The 10 "deprivation indicators" are not intended to be a comprehensive list. Instead, they are a sample of items and activities common to most Ontarians but out of reach for poor households, the report says.
Source:
Parent Central
[ Toronto Star ]

Where are you on the Deprivation Index?
By Laurie Monsebraaten
December 2, 2009
One in eight Ontario children is living in poverty, according to a new provincial measure released Wednesday that looks at whether families can afford items on a list of basic necessities. Families not able to afford two or more items from a list of 10 indicators on the Ontario Deprivation Index are considered as "having a poverty level standard of living," the McGuinty government says in its first annual report on Ontario's poverty reduction strategy.
Source:
Toronto Star

---

National Post editorial board: A new way to overstate poverty
December 4, 2009
(...) The McGuinty government has chosen to use a measure of relative poverty known as a “deprivation index,” popular in England, Scotland, New Zealand and elsewhere. Any Ontarian unable to eat fresh fruit and vegetables daily, or meat, fish or “a vegetarian equivalent” every second day is considered poor. (...) We have long argued that Statistics Canada’s Low-Income Cut Off (LICO) — a commonly cited measurement of poverty in Canada — was a useless, relativist index. But we think Ontario’s deprivation index is even worse. No doubt, however, the bureaucrats like it just fine — for it justifies the case for more government intervention in the economy.
Source:
National Post

HUNGER COUNT 2009:
A comprehensive report on hunger and food bank use in Canada,
and recommendations for change (PDF - 2MB, 44 pages)
November 17, 2009
In the month of March 2009, 794,738 people were assisted by a food bank in Canada.
This is an 18% increase compared to the same period in 2008 – the largest year-over-year increase on record.

[ previous Hunger Count reports - annual, back to 1997 ]

Source:
Food Banks Canada
Food Banks Canada is the national charitable organization representing the food bank community across Canada. Our Members, Affiliate Member food banks, and their respective agencies serve approximately 85% of people accessing emergency food programs nationwide. We continue to work to find short term and long term solutions for the over 700,000 hungry Canadians who are assisted by a food bank every month.

Related links:

Recession's toll seen in record food bank spike
2009 survey finds largest-ever increase in food bank use
November 17, 2009
By Richard J Brennan
OTTAWA – Canadians devastated by the recession are turning to food banks in record numbers. Results of the HungerCounts 2009 survey, released Tuesday, show that food banks across the country helped almost 800,000 individuals in March, representing an increase of 120,000 or 20 per cent more than March 2008. "This is the largest increase in food bank use on record," Katherine Schmidt, executive director of Food Banks Canada, told reporters. The need for food banks increased in every region with the biggest jump in Alberta, which experienced an increase of 61 per cent.
Source:
Toronto Star

A Comparison of Household Food Security in Canada and the United States
By Mark Nord and Heather Hopwood
December 2008
Food security—consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life—is essential for health and good nutrition. The extent to which a nation’s population achieves food security is an indication of its material and social well-being. Differences in the prevalence of household-level food insecurity between Canada and the United States are described at the national level and for selected economic and demographic subpopulations. Associations of food security with economic and demographic characteristics are examined in multivariate analyses that hold other characteristics constant. Comparable measures of household food security were calculated from the nationally representative Canadian Community Health Survey Cycle 2.2 (2004) and the U.S. Current Population Survey Food Security Supplement (2003-05). Based on the standard U.S. methodology, the percentage of the population living in households classified as food insecure was lower in Canada (7.0 percent) than in the United States (12.6 percent). The difference was greater for the percentage of children living in food-insecure households (8.3 percent vs. 17.9 percent) than for adults (6.6 percent vs. 10.8 percent). These differences primarily reflected different prevalence rates of food insecurity for Canadian and U.S. households with similar demographic and economic characteristics. Differences in population composition on measured economic and demographic characteristics account for only about 15 to 30 percent of the overall Canada-U.S. difference.

Report summary (HTML)

Complete report (PDF - 917K, 50 pages)
December 2008

Source:
U.S. Dept of Agriculture (USDA)
[ See the international links section of this page for a more recent US study of food security ]

Ontario:

In the Midst of the Storm:
The Impact of the Economic Downturn for Ontario's Food Banks (PDF - 2.9MB, 16 pages)
October 2009
(...) There can be no doubt that Ontario’s food banks are struggling to respond to the collateral damage caused by the global economic downturn. The challenge of hunger was already staggering before we were hit by the Great Recession: hundreds of thousands of our neighbours were turning to food banks. We are now faced with an even greater challenge: tens of thousands more Ontarians are turning to us for support, and many food banks are faced with a decline in donations.

Source:
Ontario Association of Food Banks (OAFB)
OAFB is a network of food banks in 100 communities across Ontario.

More OAFB reports:

OAFB Research Studies
OAFB releases a number of key research studies throughout the year, including their annual Ontario Hunger Report.

OAFB Government Submissions
OAFB provides the provincial government with thoughtful research and policy solutions on a regular basis related to issues important to food banks and those they serve across the province.

Put Food in the Budget
March 3, 2009
By Brian Eng
Fighting poverty is the best medicine money can buy according to the Association of Local Public Health Agencies (alPHa). They partnering with the 25 in 5 Network for Poverty Reduction in an Ontario-wide campaign to urge the Ontario government to add a Healthy Food Supplement to the Basic Needs Allowance for all adult recipients of social assistance, as part of its Spring 2009 budget. (...) alPHa’s 36 member public health units have endorsed two separate resolutions since 2001 urging the Ontario Government to set social assistance rates according to the true costs of basic needs. The Put Food in the Budget campaign calls for the addition of a $100.00 Healthy Food Supplement to the Basic Needs Allowance as a down-payment on closing the gap between social assistance incomes and the cost of healthy eating. The campaign was launched on February 19 in Toronto by Toronto Medical Officer of Health Dr. David McKeown, with representatives from the Stop Community Food Centre and the 25 in 5 Network for Poverty Reduction.
Comment found in:
Wellesley Institute Blog
[ Wellesley Institute ]

Source:
Association of Local Public Health Agencies
We are a non-profit organization that provides leadership to boards of health and public health units in Ontario. Our members include board of health members of health units, medical and associate medical officers of health, and senior public health managers.

Related links:

* Put Food in the Budget campaign
* The Stop Community Food Centre
* 25 in 5 Network for Poverty Reduction

Daily Bread Food Bank
Fighting Hunger : Who’s Hungry
2009 Profile of Hunger in the Greater Toronto Area
June 18

Report illustrates food bank use spike to over 1 million visits
Food bank clients going into debt and selling assets to pay for food and rent
June 18, 2009
TORONTO - Government programs are failing to support people ravaged by the recession, according to Daily Bread Food Bank's latest Who's Hungry: Profile of Hunger in the GTA. Client visits to GTA food banks over the past year exceeded 1 million for the first time ever. Total client visits were 1,030,568, a rise of 8% over last year. More disturbingly, the increase in client visits in the first three months of 2009 averaged 17%. The spike in food bank use is directly related to the current recession. Over half of new clients surveyed accessed a food bank for economic reasons due to job loss (35%), reduced hours at work (6%), or had no current source of income and were living on savings (11%).
Source:
Canada Newswire

Complete report:
Fighting Hunger : Who’s Hungry
2009 Profile of Hunger in the GTA (PDF - 798K, 28 pages)
June 2009

Key findings (PDF - 51K, 1 page)
[there's more info on each finding below in the PDF file.]
* Food bank use in the GTA has rapidly increased in the past year due to the recession.
* The largest portion of new clients is people who have lost their jobs or have had their hours cut. A substantial number are not accessing welfare because of their savings.
* The majority of people using food banks do so for a relatively short period of time.
* Over one third of food bank clients are children. However, single adults remain the largest household type using a food bank.
* The majority of respondents are Canadian citizens, and many are immigrants who have been in Canada for 10 years or more.
* A significant percentage of respondents are highly educated, and include newcomers who cannot get work in their field.
* The cost of housing is the largest expense for most people.
* Hunger in the GTA is the result of lack of money, not lack of food.
* Being employed is not always a ticket out of poverty.
* People living in poverty have a high level of vulnerability to costly forms of debt in order to pay for their basic needs

Source:
Daily Bread Food Bank (Toronto)

[ More reports by the Daily Bread Food Bank ]

Ontario

New from the Ontario Association of Food Banks:

Recession budget needs to fight poverty : report
Press Release
March 12, 2009
Toronto - Recession could push Ontario’s poverty rate up by four per cent in 2010 if the provincial government does not make key investments in this month’s stimulus budget, says a report released by the Ontario Association of Food Banks (OAFB). Fighting Poverty: The Best Way to Beat the Recession proves that the provincial government must make strategic investments in social infrastructure, such as affordable housing and income supports, for the poorest Ontarians in order to stimulate the economy and contain poverty rates.

Complete report:

Fighting Poverty: The Best Way to Beat the Recession (PDF - 587K, 20 pages)
March 2009

Source:
Ontario Association of Food Banks (OAFB)

Other recent releases from the OAFB:

Ontario Hunger Report 2008: The Leading Edge of the Storm (PDF - 2MB, 24 pages)
December 2008

The Cost of Poverty: An Analysis of
the Economic Cost of Poverty in Ontario (PDF - 1.3MB, 36 pages)
November 2008

Related link:

'Paycheque to paycheque,' five kids to feed
500,000 in Ontario facing poverty without budget help, report finds
March 12, 2009
By Laurie Monsebraaten
Toronto construction worker Mark Merner has been struggling to support his young family since his hours were slashed in half last fall. And he's worried it could get worse. "The construction industry is really slowing down and I've been told there might not be much work this summer," says the father of five children age 5 and younger, including a baby and a set of twins. The Merners are among about 500,000 Ontarians who will be driven into poverty by the recession unless this month's provincial budget boosts incomes and expands programs that support low-income families, says a report by the Ontario Association of Food Banks.
Source:
The Toronto Star

Understanding the Link Between Welfare Policy and the Use of Food Banks (PDF - 401K, 34 pages)
April 2009
By Michael Goldberg and David A. Green
This report examines who uses food banks in Canada and how food bank use relates to changes in government welfare policy. Data collected by Food Banks Canada show that food bank use increased dramatically from just over 700,000 Canadians using food banks during March 1998 to over 840,000 in March 2004. This increase occurred in spite of increases in employment rates and average wages and decreases in the number of welfare recipients over this period. Since then, the numbers using food banks have declined to levels near those in the late 1990s but this indicates that the prolonged economic boom simply by-passed a substantial number of the least well-off in our society. Now that the boom appears to be over, the number of persons using the food banks will almost certainly swell. The report makes several recommendations to help ensure that all residents have a right to adequate and appropriate food.
Source:
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives

Related link:

Welfare cuts drive up food bank use, study confirms
April 30, 2009
By Laurie Monsebraaten
Canada's booming economy helped reduce food bank use before the recession, but it didn't erase the surge that followed provincial welfare cuts of the 1990s, says a study to be released today. And unless federal and provincial governments repair the country's tattered social safety net, more Canadians will be forced to rely on food banks as the economic crisis deepens, the study warns.The study, by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, is the first national analysis of how welfare policy affects food bank use.
Source:
Toronto Star

More working families using food banks: study
November 25, 2008
More working families are availing themselves of food banks than ever before as Canada's economy continues to slump, according to an annual survey of the country's emergency food programs. Food Banks Canada's Hunger Count 2008 survey, released on Tuesday, found more than 14 per cent of all food-bank users have income from employment, an increase from 11 per cent in 2002.
Source:
CBC News

Complete report:

Hunger Count 2008:
A Comprehensive Report on
Hunger and Food Bank Use in Canada (PDF - 1.4MB, 40 pages)
November 2008
Food bank use has persistently remained above 700,000 people per month since 1997, throughout some of the most economically prosperous years this country has ever seen. With economic uncertainty ahead, there is concern that this number could climb higher still. If we are to figure out how to significantly reduce hunger in Canada, we need to understand who is turning to food banks for help, and why. That is the purpose of HungerCount.
- incl. Provincial perspectives on hunger, a 1-2 page overview of food security in each province prepared by someone doing front-line work in the area of hunger and food security

More about Hunger Count - background notes and links to earlier versions of this report back to 1997

Source:
Food Banks Canada
Food Banks Canada (formerly the Canadian Association of Food Banks) is a national charitable organization representing the food bank community across Canada. Our members and their respective agencies serve approximately 85% of people accessing emergency food programs nationwide. Our mission is to meet the short-term need for food and find long-term solutions to reduce hunger.

Nova Scotia

Healthy food costs too steep: report
April 16, 2009
A Halifax university reports low-income families are struggling to put nutritious food on the table. The latest food costing report from Mount St. Vincent University researchers puts the cost of a basic nutritious food basket for a four-person family at just over $670 a month. Dr. Patty Williams, the Canada Research Chair in food securities and policy change says that's an 18 per cent increase in the last six years. (...) The report, titled "Cost and Affordability of a Nutritious Diet in Nova Scotia," encourages all levels of government to examine price protection for staple foods, and cost sharing in order to address deficiencies in social assistance.

Complete report:

Cost and Affordability of a Nutritious Diet in Nova Scotia:
Report of 2007 Food Costing (PDF - 1.3MB, 28 pages)
A project of the Nova Scotia Food Security Networking partnership with community partners,
the Department of Health Promotion and Protection, and Mount Saint Vincent University
Released April 2008

"(...) The reasons for concern about income-related food insecurity can be understood when we examine the following statistics:
• 14.6% of Nova Scotians households (approximately 132,400 households) reported either moderate or severe income-related food insecurity in 2004. Nova Scotia is the only province with significantly higher levels than the national
average (9.2%).
• Although Nova Scotia has seen modest increases in minimum wage and Income Assistance rates in the past couple of years, these rates have consistently been shown to be inadequate to allow individuals and families to meet their basic needs.
• 18,417 Nova Scotia citizens accessed a food bank in March 2007.5 Research shows this represents only 1/4 to 1/3 of those experiencing food insecurity."

[ More reports and publications
about food security and food costing ]

Source:
Nova Scotia Food Security Network

- Go to the Nova Scotia Links page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/nsbkmrk.htm

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cost and Affordability of a Nutritious Diet in Nova Scotia:
Report of 2007 Food Costing (PDF - 1.3MB, 28 pages)
Released April/2008
A project of the Nova Scotia Food Security Network in partnership with community partners, the Department of Health Promotion and Protection, and Mount Saint Vincent University

Related link:

Rising food costs hitting home
Already many in Nova Scotia can’t afford to eat properly
June 11, 2008
"(...) The 2007 food costing research found that many households in our province, especially families who are getting by on low-wage incomes or social assistance, simply cannot afford to fill their cupboards and refrigerators with healthy foods.
(...) A woman raising two children on a minimum wage paycheque is at especially high risk for food insecurity, according to the project’s 2007 findings released this spring. Every month, after all the expenses of shelter, utilities, transportation, clothing and food are factored in, this young mother would be in a deficit of $8.31. She’d be even worse off when her little girl turned six and she no longer received the Universal Child Care Benefit of $100 a month. If that same woman were on welfare, she would have $127.96 a month to spend on "extras," but only if she were receiving additional financial assistance to go to school or look for work. Without that extra money, she would be even further behind...."
Source:
Halifax Chronicle-Herald

COMMENT : The Welfare Wall
[By Gilles]
The preceding paragraph comparing the financial situation of a woman with two kids on welfare vs minimum wage income is a good illustration of what is called "the welfare wall" in welfare reform parlance. All Canadian welfare programs offer some types of non-cash assistance assistance to their clients, such as coverage for prescription drugs, dental and vision care - although these types of aid are generally limited by restrictive terms and conditions (e.g., some provinces require an employable person to be in receipt of welfare for a specified time period before they qualify for non-emergency dental care).

In the above example, the household on welfare would have just under $130/month left after paying for shelter, utilities, transportation, clothing and food. If the head of that household gets a full-time job at minimum wage (which is not likely, since most minimum wage earners don't work for the full year), the family would be $8 in the hole each month --- hardly an incentive for someone to make the leap to the workforce. Recognizing this, several jurisdictions offer special work-related allowances for such things as transportation and work-appropriate clothing to encourage people to join or rejoin the labour force, and many also offer extended coverage for some non-cash health-related benefits. Note that these are not new options in the ongoing efforts to reform Canadian welfare programs --- the Canada Assistance Plan (federal legislation that enabled federal contributions to provincial welfare costs) shared in the cost of these incentives from 1966-67 until it was replaced in 1996 by the Canada Health and Social Transfer.

- Go to the Nova Scotia Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/nsbkmrk.htm

From Health Canada:

Canadian Community Health Survey, Cycle 2.2, Nutrition (2004):
Income-Related Household Food Security in Canada
HTML version
PDF version - 2.9MB, 124 pages
The Office of Nutrition Policy and Promotion, Health Canada, is pleased to release Canadian Community Health Survey, Cycle 2.2, Nutrition (2004)—Income-Related Household Food Security in Canada. This report provides, for the first time in Canada, national and provincial estimates of income-related food security at the household, adult and child level based on a standard multiple-indicator measure of food security. This report will be of value to policy analysts, public health professionals, researchers, academic faculty and students with an interest in nutrition and healthy eating, social determinants of health and population health.
Source:
Canadian Community Health Survey
The Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) initiative began in 2000 with its main goals being the provision of population-level information on health determinants, health status and health system utilization. This series of surveys is a joint effort of Health Canada, Statistics Canada and the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI)

Related Health Canada links:

Office of Nutrition Policy and Promotion
Topics of Interest:
* Canada's Food Guide * Dietary Reference Intakes * Healthy Weights * Nutrition Labelling * Food & Nutrition Surveillance * Healthy Eating Research * Nutrition Policy Reports

Health Canada Population health surveys
* Canadian Community Health Survey * National Population Health Survey * Canadian Health Measures Survey * Joint Canada /United States Survey of Health * Health Services Access Survey
2003
- incl. links to more info for each survey

Related external links:

Canadian Community Health Survey - Nutrition (from Statistics Canada)
Canadian Institute for Health Information

Centre for Studies in Food Security - Ryerson Polytechnic University (Toronto)
- incl. links to : Food Security Toronto - News - Food Security Course - About the Centre - Conferences - Toronto Food Research Network - Publications - Resources
Extensive collection of links to Canadian, American and international sites, organized by theme.

Selected food studies and reports from
The Daily [Statistics Canada]:

June 12, 2008
Study: Food prices: A boon for producers, a buffer for consumers, June 2008
Canada is uniquely positioned to weather the storm of sharply-rising prices for grains and rice, and is even poised to profit from the current surge, according to a study released today in the Canadian Economic Observer.

Complete article (PDF - 332K, 10 pages)

June 26, 2007
Canada Food Stats
Canada Food Stats is an easy-to-use product that provides access to a broad spectrum of food statistics and indicators. It contains information on food available for consumption, food prices, nutrition, supply and demand, as well as data on the food industry, processing, employment, productivity, international trade and much more.

October 25, 2006
Food consumption, 2005
On the whole, Canadians are turning to more fresh fruits and vegetables in their diet, and away from oils and fats, according to the latest snapshot of food consumption for 2005. On average, they consumed 39.4 kilograms of fresh fruit in 2005, compared with 37.6 kg a year earlier and 36.0 kg in 1995. On the other hand, consumption of processed fruits (canned, frozen or dry) fell modestly to 8.0 kg per person. (...) The level of energy consumed per person declined by 1.1% in 2005. Caloric consumption has been stable this decade after expanding fairly rapidly during the 1990s.

Food Statistics - 2005, vol. 5, no. 2 (PDF file - 462K, 37 pages)
October 2006
"This publication contains information on food consumption, food prices and nutrition, as well as data on the food industry, processing, employment, productivity and trade."

Earlier editions of Food Statistics - links to 11 editions back to 2001

October 18, 2005
Food consumption, 2004
Canadians continue to lay off their veggies, but they are reaching for more fresh fruit, according to the latest data on food consumption.
Per capita consumption of fresh vegetables fell for the third consecutive year in 2004, hitting its lowest level since 1992.

Complete document:

Food Statistics 2004, vol. 4, no. 2 (PDF file - 543K, 36 pages)
October 2005
- incl the following tables: Canada's food sector at a glance - Food available by major group, per person - Food consumed by major group, per person - Food disappearance, by commodity - Food consumed, by commodity - Nutrients available from the Canadian food supply - Nutrients consumed from the Canadian food supply - Comparison between Canada and United States

May 26, 2005
Food consumption 2004
Despite the recent popularity of low-carbohydrate diets, Canadians continued to fill their plates with pasta, bakery products and cereal-based snacks last year. New data show each Canadian ate 66.8 kg of cereal products in 2004, up from 65.8 kg in 2003.
Report:
Food Statistics 2004, vol. 4, no.1 (PDF file - 440K, 38 pages)

May 3, 2005
Study: Food insecurity in Canadian households, 2000/01
Almost 15% of Canadians, or an estimated 3.7 million people, were considered to be living in what is known as a "food-insecure" household at some point during 2000/01, according to the article "Food insecurity" published today in Health Reports. ($)

February 21, 2003
Household spending on food, 2001
"Canadian households spent almost the same amount on food in 2001 as in 1996, according to new data from the Food Expenditure Survey. However, growing preference for eating out during this five-year period has changed how food dollars were spent."
Average weekly food expenditure per household, Canada and selected regions - 2001

FoodLink Waterloo Region
"FoodLink Waterloo Region is a non-profit organization linking farmers and citizens together to create a more sustainable food system in Waterloo Region. We are working together to promote local agriculture and to support local growers, by creating new urban-rural relationships among members of the farming community, consumers, and various health and social service groups. These partnerships are being cultivated to raise awareness of agricultural issues, create new markets for local farmers, and enhance food security in the Region of Waterloo."

Food Security: More Than a Determinant of Health (PDF file - 60K, 6 pages)
by Lynn McIntyre
February 2003
"In Canada hunger became a subject of investigation in the 1980s, when food banks began to emerge and children's feeding programs in schools became more common. Even though nutritional adequacy can be regarded as the single most important determinant of health, Canada's response to food insecurity has remained community-based, ad hoc and largely focused on the provision of free or subsidized food."
Source : Policy Options (February 2003)
[Institute for Research on Public Policy (IRPP)]

Dietitians of Canada
"Dietitians of Canada represents over 5500 dietitians across Canada and is committed to promoting the health and well-being of consumers through food and nutrition."
NOTE: I was unable to find a website for the
Community Nutritionists Council of BC

Sample reports:

Food costs take a big bite of the income pie for low-income British Columbians
News Release
November 28, 2007
Vancouver, British Columbia – Imagine spending 42% of your income after taxes on food. That’s how much a family of four receiving income assistance in BC would need to spend to purchase enough healthy food. Combine this with the estimated 65% required for shelter, and this family is in the hole before purchasing any other necessities of daily living, such as clothing, transportation, and personal care items. Compare these circumstances with a family of four with an average income; that family would spend about 17% of their income on food and 33% on shelter.

The Cost of Eating in BC 2007 Report (528K, 12 pages)
"... profiles the hardships faced by families trying to purchase healthy food while living on a low-income"

Cost of Eating Reports for earlier years (back to 2001)

Source:
Dieticians of Canada
This report was produced by Dietitians of Canada, BC Region
in partnership with the Community Nutritionists Council of BC

Related link:

Poor in B.C. eat the worst
Government must raise welfare: Report
November 29, 2007
British Columbians have little access to healthy food because welfare cheques and minimum wage are too low, according to a report released Wednesday.The annual release from the Dieticians of Canada and the Community Nutritionists Council of B.C. say this province has more families than any other facing substantial barriers when trying to access healthy food.
Source:
Canada.com

Low income British Columbians can't afford to buy healthy food
News Release
October 6, 2003
"With rising food and housing costs, low-income families are more desperate than ever. A low income family would need to spend up to 44% of their disposable income on a nutritious diet compared to the average Canadian spending 17%. Twenty percent of the population has been defined as low income ... that's more than 800,000 British Columbians! The Cost of Eating in BC 2003 report profiles the struggles of many low-income families in BC. According to 2003 report, published by the Community Nutritionists Council of BC and Dietitians of Canada - BC Region, the monthly cost to feed a family of four increased by 9% since 2000 yet the income for the same family on income assistance declined by 6%."

Complete report:
The Cost of Eating in BC 2003 (PDF file - 147K, 25 pages)

A Workbook on Food Security & Influencing Policy
Developed by the Food Security Projects
- incl. links to: Intro (Food for Thought) - What are we talking about? - Why care about food insecurity - What can we do about it? - What is policy? - How can we influence policy? - Strategies for Action - Resources and Tools - Fact Sheets and Handout - About this Workbook - How to use this Workbook - Questions Behind the Workbook - Acknowledgements - Bibliography

Bibliography and Useful Resources
- links to 50+ sites organized under the following headings : General Food Security Websites - Defining Food Security - Food Security, Families & Children, Communities, & Health - Food Security, the Environment and the Economy - Addressing Food Security - The Policy Process, Implementing Policy & Influencing Public Policy - Provincial/Territorial Food Security Groups

Source:
Atlantic Health Promotion Research Centre
Nova Scotia Nutrition Council

FoodShare - "Working with communities to improve access to affordable, nutritious food"
FoodShare is a non-profit food security organization based in Toronto founded in 1985 to co-ordinate emergency food services and to collect and distribute food. Over the years, Foodshare has expanded to include a volunteer Hunger Hotline, advocacy for policies to ensure adequate employment and income and a number of self-help models like co-operative buying systems, collective kitchens and community gardens to address short-term issues of household hunger while also providing longer-term benefits by building the capacity of individuals and communities.
Explore the main sections of this site (Growing - Cooking - Learning - Working - Food 2020 - Good Food Box) for further links to online resources

Welfare falls short of food costs, says study
Researchers call for review of welfare benefit levels
"March 12, 2002 -- A nutritional diet - as defined by the Ontario government's own standards - is out of reach for Toronto's welfare recipients, says a U of T study"
Source : University of Toronto News and Events

Food insecurity in Canadian households, 1998/99
About 8% of Canadians, or just under 2.5 million people, had to compromise the quality or the quantity of their diet at least once in 1998/99 because of a lack of money, according to the National Population Health Survey.
Source: The Daily, Statistics Canada (Wednesday, August 15, 2001)
NOTE : Go to the Statistics Canada website and do a search on "food" to find related reports and studies.

Food and Hunger Action Committee (Toronto)
The Food and Hunger Action Committee was formed in December 1999 to study food security in Toronto and recommend ways to reduce hunger, improve the nutritional health of Torontonians, and support food-based initiatives that benefit Toronto's economy, environment and quality of life. The Committee took a collaborative approach to its work, bringing together City councillors, City staff, the staff of non-profit agencies, food program participants, volunteers, clergy and interested members of the public to discuss the wide range of issues related to food and hunger in Toronto.
The Committee's work resulted in the release of two reports, one for each phase of this initiative
Planting the Seeds - May 2000
- includes information gathered from the community consultations, an inventory of food and hunger-related initiatives in which the City of Toronto is involved, a review of current literature in this area and recommendations on how to proceed. The above link takes you to the executive summary and a link to the report itself in PDF format -- 59 pages, 433K.
The Growing Season - February 2001
Phase II action plan: City Council asked the Committee to create a food charter for the City and to present an action plan to improve Torontonians' access to safe, affordable and nutritious food, and enhance the coordination and delivery of services related to food and hunger. The above link takes you to the executive summary and a link to the report itself in PDF format -- 1055K, 56 pages. There's also a link to Toronto's Food Charter (in PDF format - 110K, 4 pages) on this page.

Daily Bread Food Bank (Toronto)
"The Daily Bread Food Bank is a non-profit, non-denominational charitable organization working to eliminate hunger in the Greater Toronto Area. It is Canada's largest food bank, serving 170 food programs. In addition, we work together to try to end the root causes of hunger through public education and research."

Publications

Sample recent publications:

Hungry City> Make Your Mark!
Toronto's Daily Bread Food Bank Blog
Launched in June 2007
"(...) It is time to take the next steps in the fight against hunger and that is where Hungry City> Make Your Mark comes in. It is also where you come in. We are armed with information and we have realistic policy solutions outlined in A New Deal to Fight Hunger. Now, we need to come together for real political change. You are invited to post your concerns about hunger and poverty in your community on this blog. Keep visiting hungrycity.ca to see where people stand on this important issue. Daily Bread Food Bank is committed to ending the need for food banks and we are excited to work with our community and start mobilizing to have our voices heard. No one should go hungry in our great city, province or country. I’ve made my mark…have you?" [Excerpt from the Hungry City Blog Welcome Message, June 5/07)
Source:
Daily Bread Food Bank

Who's Hungry: 2007 Profile of Hunger in the GTA (PDF file - 1.8MB, 32 pages)
June 5, 2007
Read a detailed report about the current hunger crisis in the GTA. It features Daily Bread's A New Deal to Fight Hunger, a significant next step toward solving the hunger crisis.

Who's Hungry 2007 : Key Statistics (PDF file - 63K, 1 page)
June 5, 2007
Check out the key statistics drawn from the survey over 1,800 food bank clients from across the GTA.

A New Deal to Fight Hunger (PDF file - 60K, 2 pages)
June 1, 2007
Daily Bread's call for a comprehensive anti-poverty strategy

Related link:

Hungry City - A Daily Bread Food Bank Initiative
There is no excuse for hunger and poverty in a country as wealthy as Canada, the Hungry City initiative is your chance to take action. Join with thousands of others to make your voice heard for real political change, to elect a provincial government committed to ending hunger and poverty on October 10th, 2007. Hungry City is about you. Find out how you can participate, make your mark here...

National Hunger Awareness Day
June 6th, 2006 marks the launch of the inaugural National Hunger Awareness Day in Canada. The goal is to raise public awareness of domestic hunger at both the National and Local level. A cross-sector of sponsors and stakeholders will be engaged ranging from media, faith-based groups, national corporations, politicians and the general public. Local activities will also take place in an effort to raise food and funds through our various members. Learn more about Hunger Awareness Day and how you can take part!
- incl. links to : Our Mission - Events - Photo Album - Media Room - Related Links - FAQs

Related Links:

Canada:
Canadian Association of Food Banks
Daily Bread Food Bank - Toronto

U.S.:
National Hunger Awareness Day
America's Second Harvest - The Nation's Food Bank Network
- Hunger in America 2006
"The America's Second Harvest Network produced "Hunger in America 2006 ," a comprehensive profile of the incidence and nature of hunger and food insecurity in the U.S. Our study provides extensive demographic profiles of emergency food clients at charitable feeding agencies and comprehensive information on the nature and efficacy of local agencies in meeting the food security needs of clients.The study is the largest of its kind. More than 52,000 individuals agreed to share their personal stories with us through face-to-face interviews at charitable emergency hunger-relief agencies like pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters. Nearly 31,000 local emergency hunger-relief agencies completed survey questionnaires about their efforts to serve millions of hungry Americans."

-------------------------------------

Daily Bread’s Who’s Hungry report illustrates depth of hunger crisis
Survey examines hunger in the GTA and Daily Bread advances solutions
(PDF file - 96K, 1 page)
News Release
June 6, 2006
TORONTO, ON ? Food bank use across the GTA has risen a dramatic 79% since 1995, according to the report Who’s Hungry: 2006 Profile of Hunger in the GTA released today at BCE Place. The results of Daily Bread’s annual survey paint a picture that cannot be ignored of the struggles and financial plight of the diverse population relying on food banks. The 894,017 people who accessed emergency food services last year through GTA food banks, 38% of whom were children, would not go hungry if the issue of poverty were addressed. So, in conjunction with the report, Daily Bread advances the Blueprint to Fight Hunger.

Complete report:

Who's Hungry:
2006 Profile of Hunger in the Greater Toronto Area
(PDF file - 1.9MB, 13 pages)

Blueprint to Fight Hunger (PDF file - 214K, 1 page)
June 2006

The Daily Bread Food Bank announces education savings program to help break poverty cycle
Canadian Scholarship Trust Foundation facilitates starting an RESP for Daily Bread clients
TORONTO, April 10, 2006/CNW/ - The Daily Bread Food Bank announced today a newpartnership designed to help break the poverty cycle through an accessible education savings program. Recognizing the importance of saving for post-secondary education in reducing the barriers to higher education and encouraging self-sustainability, Daily Bread and Canadian Scholarship Trust Foundation (C.S.T.) have partnered to help low-income families take advantage of the Canada Learning Bond (CLB) program by setting up a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP).
Source:
Newswire.ca

Related Links:

Daily Bread Food Bank
Canadian Scholarship Trust Foundation
Canada Education Savings Grant
Registered Education Savings Plan
Canada Learning Bond

Who's Hungry: 2005 Profile of Hunger in the Greater Toronto Area (PDF file - 393K, 28 pages)
June 07, 2005
"Daily Bread Food Bank insists that charitable food relief programs are only a temporary solution to hunger. Food banks have consistently advocated that government programs ensure a decent standard of living for everyone. Despite this work, food banks are still entrenched as a necessary social service for low-income people, compensating for the government cutbacks of the 1990s and the increasingly tenuous labour market."

Survey results indicate drastic overhaul of social assistance required (PDF file - 60K, 2 pages)
Report looks at who’s hungry in Toronto in 2005 and how to help them
News Release
June 7, 2005
"TORONTO, ON – Thirty-four per cent of people on Ontario Works are discouraged from working because of the deduction of employment income from their social assistance, according to the results of Daily Bread’s 2005 survey of people relying upon food banks. As a result, just thirteen per cent of this group reports work income (virtually identical to the 14% who do so across the province). The loss of dental and drug benefits is another major barrier to getting back to work as shown by the experience of people relying upon food banks who are working full-time—46 per cent of them have no dental coverage and only 43 per cent have an employer drug plan."

Rebuilding Lives:
Taking children off welfare and encouraging their parents to work (PDF file - 390K, 18 pages)
March 15, 2005
"Daily Bread's detailed proposal on the best way for the provincial government to keep its promise to end the clawback of the National Child Benefit Supplement from social assistance cheques. To do so, it recommends changing how social assistance benefits are calculated so that adults have a greater incentive to work their way off welfare and their children receive the NCBS whether their parents are on or off welfare."

Governments Failing Newcomers:
Highly Skilled Immigrants Being Forced to Use Food Banks (PDF file - 26K, 4 pages)
March 26, 2005
"Preliminary results from the 2005 Annual Survey on skilled immigrants being forced to rely upon foodbanks to survive in Toronto. This report builds a strong and compelling case for greater financial support from the federal government to help the province of Ontario aid immigrant settlement to quicken the pace of their integration into the Canadian economy--benefitting both the immigrants and the long-term health of the Canadian economy."

Housing Report Update: Rising Food Bank Use Linked to Tenant Protection Act (PDF file - 142K, 3 pages)
Toronto
November 02, 2004
"Daily Bread has taken a closer look at our research statistics to determine the correlation between rent increases and food bank use. The results are included in the attached an update to our August report on housing. The data shows that there is a strong link between rising food bank use and the Tenant Protection Act. "

How much difference would the NCBS make for food bank families? (PDF file - 138K, 2 pages)
A review of the impact of the "clawback" of the National Child Benefit Supplement is affecting children whose families are on social assistance
Research Bulletin #4
Toronto
August 31, 2004
"...it is possible to extrapolate that approximately 13,500 children in the Greater Toronto Area alone would no longer need to use a food bank if their families received the National Child Benefit Supplement."
Source:
Publications
[ Daily Bread Food Bank ]

Somewhere to Live or Something to Eat: Housing Issues of Food Bank Clients in the Greater Toronto Area
August 2, 2004
- based on housing statistics from the Daily Bread Food Bank's Annual Survey of Food Bank Clients.
"This 22-page paper looks at the key housing issues affecting food bank clients. Set against the context of the Welfare Rates cut in 1995 and the Tenant Protection Act in 1998, the paper focuses on rent and income problems many food bank clients are facing now. (...) It is particularly timely given that the Ontario government has just completed its consultation process for new landlord-tenant legislation and is currently engaged in writing a new act in which new rent control guidelines will be established. This paper should be viewed as a contribution to that process."

Complete Report (PDF file - 766K, 22 pages)
Summary of Housing Report (PDF file - 24K, 2 pages)

July 20, 2004
Who's Who? (PDF file - 56K, 1 page)
"This profile of food bank clients looks specifically at family groups, sources of income, immigration and gender by age. This information is collected from our 2004 Annual Survey."

June 21, 2004
Who’s Hungry? (PDF file - 39K, 1 page)
"This updated fact sheet answers the question Who’s hungry? by examining data provided by Daily Bread’s annual survey of food recipients. The report provides statistics on the issues impacting low-income people in the GTA."

Disabled demand aid from province
Short of food following blackout
August 27, 2003
By Kevin Connor
"Low-income, disabled shut-ins say they are the forgotten souls after last week's blackout. Because government offices were closed last week, they couldn't receive assistance from the
Ontario Disability Support Program office."
Source: Toronto Sun

Sample reports from 2000, 2001

A Report From the 2001 Survey of Food Recipients
How Food Recipients Deal With Poverty (PDF) - April 16, 2001
Who's Hungry Now? (PDF) - April 14, 2001
Looking After Our Kids (PDF) - April 13, 2001
Working Harder, Falling Behind (PDF) - April 12, 2001

Seniors Losing Ground in Poverty Battle: A Stealth attack on Seniors (PDF) - April 20002002 Publications (all released in April 2002):
No Money, No Food (PDF file - 19K, 3 pages)
Poorer People, Poorer Health (PDF file - 57K, 2 pages)
Hunger Scandal Sheet (PDF file - 21K, 2 pages)
Who's Hungry Now? (PDF file - 30K, 3 pages)

Hunger in Ontario in the Year 2000 : Common, but Senseless (PDF file - 50K, 12 pages)
Prepared for the Ontario Association of Food Banks
October 2000
- includes statistical data on food bank use in Ontario during March 2000 and an opinion poll (June 2000) on the opinions of Ontarians regarding hunger and food banks and who is responsible for solving the hunger problem.

Seniors Losing Ground in Poverty Battle: A Stealth attack on Seniors (PDF) - April 2000

Selected reports:

Ontario Hunger Report 2008: The Leading Edge of the Storm (PDF - 2MB, 24 pages)
December 2008
"(...) Key Trends:
1. Hundreds of thousands of Ontarians are forced to turn to food banks every month.
2. Working Ontarians, Ontario’s children, and Ontarians with disabilities are hit hard by hunger.
3. We have witnessed an alarming increase in the number of Ontarians turning to food banks this fall.
4. The price of food and energy has risen substantially in the past year and is the likely cause of increased usage coupled with economic decline.
5. Many food banks are struggling to meet demand."

The Cost of Poverty: An Analysis of
the Economic Cost of Poverty in Ontario (PDF - 1.3MB, 36 pages)
November 2008
By Nathan Laurie
Key Facts:
* Poverty disproportionately affects certain populations, and has a complex mix of institutional and individual causes.
* Poverty has a price tag for all Ontarians.
* The cost of poverty is reflected in remedial, intergenerational, and opportunity costs.
* Reducing poverty with targeted policies and investments over the life course generates an economic return. This return is equal to a proportion of the assessed cost of poverty.

Related link:

Everyone pays the province's $38 billion cost
Toll of health care, crime, social assistance $2,900 per household, economic analysis finds
November 20, 2008
By Laurie Monsebraaten
Poverty costs Ontario a staggering $38 billion a year – and we all pay the price, says a new report that offers the first-ever analysis of the problem's economic impact on everyone. Although the province's 905,000 poorest households bear the brunt of the cost, everyone feels the pinch, says the report written by a group of leading economic and public policy experts to be released at Queen's Park today.
Source:
Toronto Star

Ontario's Food Banks present plan to cut poverty in half by 2020
News Release
August 19, 2008
The Ontario Association of Food Banks (OAFB) released a new report today, entitled Our Choice for a Better Ontario, in response to a call for submissions from the provincial government's Cabinet Committee on Poverty Reduction. The report sets a goal of cutting poverty in half by 2020 through a renewed investment by the federal and provincial governments.

Complete report:

Our Choice for a Better Ontario:
A Plan to Cut Poverty in Half by 2020 (PDF - 1.4MB, 64 pages)
August 2008 (PDF file date)
"(...) Our challenge is great. Hunger and poverty disproportionately affects certain populations and places in Ontario. Ontario’s economy is also in a period of significant transition. Hundreds of thousands of Ontarians lack the basics of life, including food, shelter, and education. We believe that our universal goal must be to cut poverty in half by 2020, with a focus on reducing the deepest poverty. In order to meet this goal, we have established twelve supportive goals focusing on key sectors, people, and places. "
- goals cover the following areas:
* Housing * Education * Financial Inclusion * Employment & Enterprise * Energy * Health * Neighbourhoods and communities * New Canadians * Single parents * First Nations * Ontarians with Disabilities * Children

Related link:

We must spend to fight poverty: report
Low-fee credit unions for the poor and a plan to help low-income households pay for heat and hydro are among a broad series of initiatives needed to fight poverty in Ontario, say the province's food banks in a report released recently. Cutting poverty in half by 2020 would lift more than half a million Ontarians out of poverty and should be the McGuinty government's "commitment of a generation," says the report by the Ontario Association of Food Banks.
Source:
Sudbury Star
September 2, 2008

"Healthy Minds"
Breakfast Pilot Program Evaluation
October 1999-March 2000
New Brunswick Department of Education
As a means for addressing the nutritional needs of students in the elementary school years, a "Healthy Minds" Breakfast Program was piloted in two school districts (Tracadie-Sheila & Saint John) in K-5. The program was designed to provide basic breakfast food items to students in a non-stigmatizing environment. All schools in District 8 (Saint John) and District 9 (Tracadie-Sheila), with kindergarten to grade five, were chosen to pilot the "Healthy Minds" breakfast program from October 1999 to March 2000. District 8 participated with 31 schools, representing 6,638 students and District 9 participated with 21 schools, representing 3,836 students.

Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society

 

International Sites (links below are added in reverse chronological order)

Across U.S., Food Stamp Use Soars and Stigma Fades
A Growing Need for a Program Once Scorned
By Jason DeParle and Robert Gebeloff
November 28, 2009
MARTINSVILLE, Ohio — With food stamp use at record highs and climbing every month, a program once scorned as a failed welfare scheme now helps feed one in eight Americans and one in four children. It has grown so rapidly in places so diverse that it is becoming nearly as ordinary as the groceries it buys. More than 36 million people use inconspicuous plastic cards for staples like milk, bread and cheese, swiping them at counters in blighted cities and in suburbs pocked with foreclosure signs.

The Safety Net
With millions of jobs lost and major industries on the ropes, America's array of government aid - including unemployment insurance, food stamps and cash welfare - is being tested as never before. This series examines how the safety net is holding up under the worst economic crisis in decades.

Food Stamp Usage Across the Country - (interactive U.S. map)
The number of food stamp recipients has climbed by about 10 million over the past two years, resulting in a program that now feeds 1 in 8 Americans and nearly 1 in 4 children.

More NY Times articles
about the U.S. Food stamp program

Source:
New York Times

From the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization:

Economic crisis is devastating for the world's hungry
1.02 billion hungry people in 2009 - FAO hunger report published
Number of hungry people "intolerable"
14 October 2009, Rome
The sharp spike in hunger triggered by the global economic crisis has hit the poorest people in developing countries hardest, revealing a fragile world food system in urgent need of reform, according to a report released today by FAO and the World Food Programme (WFP). The combination of food and economic crises has pushed the number of hungry people worldwide to historic levels — more than one billion people are undernourished, according to FAO estimates. Nearly all the world's undernourished live in developing countries. In Asia and the Pacific, an estimated 642 million people are suffering from chronic hunger; in Sub-Saharan Africa 265 million; in Latin America and the Caribbean 53 million; in the Near East and North Africa 42 million; and in developed countries 15 million, according FAO's annual hunger report, The State of Food Insecurity, produced this year in collaboration with WFP. The report was published before World Food Day, to be celebrated on 16 October 2009.

The report:

The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2009
Economic crises - impacts and lessons learned
Rome, 2009
HTML version - table of contents and links to individual sections of the report
PDF Version (2.1MB, 61 pages)
"(...) As a result of the economic crisis, estimates reported in this edition of The State of Food Insecurity in the World show that, for the first time since 1970, more than one billion people – about 100 million more than last year and around one-sixth of all of humanity – are hungry and undernourished worldwide."

Source:
Food and Agriculture Organization
of the United Nations (FAO)

Related link:

United Nations World Food Programme
Among the Millennium Development Goals which the United Nations has set for the 21st century, halving the proportion of hungry people in the world is top of the list. (...) WFP is the United Nations frontline agency in the fight against global hunger.

Household Food Security in the United States, 2008
By Mark Nord, Margaret Andrews, and Steven Carlson
November 16, 2009
By Mark Nord, Margaret Andrews, and Steven Carlson
Eighty-five percent of American households were food secure throughout the entire year in 2008, meaning that they had access at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members. The remaining households (14.6 percent) were food insecure at least some time during the year, including 5.7 percent with very low food security—meaning that the food intake of one or more household members was reduced and their eating patterns were disrupted at times during the year because the household lacked money and other resources for food.

USDA Report reveals highest rate of food insecurity since report was initiated in 1995
Economic Research Service Report Demonstrates Need for Action
News Release
WASHINGTON, November 16, 2009

Summary of the report (HTML)

Complete report (PDF - 403K, 66 pages)
November 2009
Download the complete report in one PDF file, or see the table of contents and download individual sections of the report (also in PDF format)
Table of contents:
* Abstract, Contents, and Summary
* Introduction
* Household Food Security
* Household Spending on Food
* Use of Federal and Community Food and Nutrition Assistance Programs
* References
* Appendix A—Household Responses to Questions in the Food Security Scale
* Appendix B—Background on the U.S. Food Security Measurement Project
* Appendix C—USDA’s Thrifty Food Plan
* Appendix D—Food Security During 30 Days Prior to the Food Security Survey

[ USDA Briefing Room: Food Security in the United States ]
[ Food Security in the United States: Recommended Readings - includes links to previous food security annual reports and technical reports]

Source:
Household Food Security in the United States
[ Economic Research Service ]
[ U.S. Dept of Agriculture ]

Related links:

America's economic pain brings hunger pangs
USDA report on access to food 'unsettling,' Obama says
By Amy Goldstein
November 17, 2009
The nation's economic crisis has catapulted the number of Americans who lack enough food to the highest level since the government has been keeping track, according to a new federal report, which shows that nearly 50 million people -- including almost one child in four -- struggled last year to get enough to eat. At a time when rising poverty, widespread unemployment and other effects of the recession have been well documented, the report released Monday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture provides the government's first detailed portrait of the toll that the faltering economy has taken on Americans' access to food
Source:
Washington Post

Newly Poor Swell Lines at Food Banks
By Julie Bosman
February 19, 2009
"(...) Demand at food banks across the country increased by 30 percent in 2008 from the previous year, according to a survey by Feeding America [formerly America's Second Harvest], which distributes more than two billion pounds of food every year. And instead of their usual drop in customers after the holidays, many pantries in upscale suburbs this year are seeing the opposite.
Source:
The New York Times

America’s Second Harvest has changed its name to Feeding America.

America's Second Harvest Changes Name to Feeding America
Nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief charity changes its name to better engage the public in the fight against hunger
Chicago
September 5, 2008
Effective immediately, America’s Second Harvest—The Nation’s Food Bank Network, an organization of more than 200 food banks that provide food and grocery products to food pantries, soup kitchen and other emergency food agencies across the country, will become Feeding America. The primary objective of the branding change is to more fully engage the public in the fight against hunger.

Feeding America
This new name best conveys our mission—providing food to Americans living with hunger—and will be supported through expansive public outreach campaigns that will raise awareness of domestic hunger and our work.

24 April 2008 - CRINMAIL 977- Special Edition on Food
* Introduction: What do soaring food prices mean for children?
* The Right to Food - and what a rights-based approach means
* Publications and factsheets
* News stories
* Organisation websites
**Other news**
**Quiz special on the Right to Food**
Source:
CRINMAIL(incl. subscription info)
[ Child Rights Information Network (CRIN) ]

U.S. Mayors examine causes of hunger, homelessness (small PDF file - 2 pages)
News release
December 17, 2007
Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Conference of Mayors and Sodexho, Inc. released today the results of its 2007 Hunger and Homelessness Survey at a press conference at the Conference of Mayors Headquarters in Washington, D.C. For more than 21 years, the Conference of Mayors has documented the magnitude of the issues of hunger and homelessness in our nation’s cities. This report provides an analysis of the scale of the problem in twenty-three of America’s major cities (listed below) and the efforts these cities are making to address the issue.
Source:
The U.S. Conference of Mayors
Sodexho USA

Complete report:

2007 U.S. Hunger and Homelessness Report (PDF file - 983K, 72 pages)
December 2007

One in Eight U.S. Households with Infants is Food Insecure
New Report Links Food Insecurity to Maternal Depression,
Poor Parenting, and Overweight Toddlers
Press Release
July 12, 2007
Washington, DC – One in eight U.S. households with infants (12.5 percent) reports being “food insecure”, according to a new analysis by Child Trends. “Food insecure” is defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to be “limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods."
- the brief also links food insecurity with maternal depression, poor parenting, and-paradoxically-overweight toddlers.

Related Research Briefing based on the report:

Food Insecurity and Overweight among Infants and
Toddlers: New Insights into a Troubling Linkage (PDF file - 178K, 6 pages)
By Jacinta Bronte-Tinkew, Ph.D., Martha Zaslow, Ph.D., Randolph Cappsa , Ph.D., and Allison Horowitz, B.A.
July 2007
"(...) This Research Brief is based on a forthcoming paper in the Journal of Nutrition titled “Food Insecurity Works Through Depression, Parenting and Infant Feeding to Influence Overweight and Health in Toddlers,” co-authored by the same group as the research briefing."

Source:
Child Trends
Founded in 1979, Child Trends is a nonprofit, nonpartisan research center serving those dedicated to creating better lives for children and youth.

Related link from Child Trends:

Child Trends DataBank
"...the one-stop-shop for the latest national trends and research on over 100 key indicators of child and youth well-being, with new indicators added each month."
HINT: the best way to see the content in this databank is by clicking the "You may also search by: (Subgroup / Age / Alphabetically)" links immediately under the photos on the Child Trends home page.

Hunger Relief Portal - Relief Organizations and Hunger Statistics
This site is a portal consisting of a listing of organizations involved in the elimination of hunger.
Articles on hunger and poverty are also presented, along with statistics on world hunger.

United Nations World Food Program
Interactive Hunger Map

New CDF Report: More Than 13 Million Children Face Food Insecurity -- U.S.
Press Release
June 2 2005
"According to the most recent figures from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 13.3 million American children were food insecure in 2003; of these, 420,000 lived in households where someone had to go hungry. Overall, 36.3 million Americans experienced food insecurity in 2003, 1.4 million more than in 2002, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture."

Complete report:

Food Insecurity 2005 (PDF file - 122K, 6 pages)

Source:
Children's Defense Fund

Hunger, homelessness on rise
December 15, 2004
"Hunger and homelessness continue to rise nationwide with requests for emergency food assistance increasing in 97 percent of the cities surveyed including Nashville, according to the Sodexho USA Hunger and Homelessness Survey. The U.S. Conference of Mayors released the 27-city survey in Washington, D.C., Tuesday. An average of 20 percent of the requests for food assistance have gone unmet and 78 percent of the surveyed cities reported a 7 percent increase in requests for shelter by homeless families."
Source:
Nashville City Paper Online

Press Release (PDF file - 58K, 3 pages)
December 12, 2004

Source:
U.S. Conference of Mayors

And, from the "Every-Cloud-Has-A-Silver-Lining" crowd:

Survey: Good news in fight against hunger, homelessness
December 15, 2004
"Washington - Requests for emergency food and shelter increased in many large U.S. cities this year, but not by as much as in recent years, according to a survey released Tuesday. Requests for food rose by 14 percent, while appeals for shelter increased by 6 percent, said the annual report by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, based on surveys of 27 large cities. The numbers have risen every year since the conference began the survey 20 years ago. However, the rate of increase for food requests was the lowest since 1998. The rate of increase for shelter requests was less than half what it was in 2003, and the lowest since 1997.
Source:
The Plain Dealer

orld Hunger on the Rise
December 12, 2004
"As many of us head into a holiday season filled with good things to eat, the number of hungry people in the world remains high eight years after a United Nations pledge to halve world hunger. According to the U.N. Food and Agricultural Agency (FAO), which released its annual Hunger Report Wednesday, more than 5 million children die from hunger each year -- one every five seconds. The number of people who do not get enough to eat has increased to 852 million -- up 18 million from the 1990s, causing tremendous suffering and costing developing nations billions of dollars in lost productivity and national income."
Source:
PBS Newshour Extra

Recent Trends in Food Stamp Participation among Poor Families with Children
Discussion Paper
June 2004
"Food stamp caseloads increased dramatically between October 2002 and October 2003. Our results show that families recently on welfare were substantially more likely to participate in the Food Stamp program in 2002 than in 1997 or 1999. In contrast, participation rates for families with no cash welfare experience, the largest share of poor families with children, remained quite low throughout the period. The new program rules and procedures did not affect their participation. The low current incomes and economic hardship of nonparticipating families indicate the food stamps would benefit these families substantially. States could encourage more families to take advantage of food stamps by strengthening public outreach and simplifying their programs."

Complete report (PDF file - 100K, 38 pages)

Source:
Assessing the New Federalism
[ The Urban Institute ]

Highlights of the Child Nutrition and
Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children Reauthorization Act of 2004
July 8, 2004
"On Wednesday, June 30, 2004, President Bush signed the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 into law (Public Law 108-265). The Act expands the availability of nutritious meals and snacks to more children in school, in outside school hours programs, and in child care; and improves the quality of food in schools."

Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act Section-by-Section from the Congressional Research Service (PDF file - 373K, 53 pages)
July 16, 2004

Federal Food Programs in the U.S
- incl. links to info about : Food Stamp Program - National School Lunch Program - School Breakfast Program - Summer Food Service Program for Children - Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants & Children - Child and Adult Care Food Program - The Emergency Food Assistance Program - Community Food and Nutrition Program - Resources to assist afterschool and summer programs in using the child nutrition programs
- also incl. State Profiles (Choose a state to view a profile of the Federal Food Programs in the state)and a National Profile.

Source:
Current News & Analyses
[ Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) ]

Related Links:

Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act
Bill Summary
Updated June 24, 2004
"The federal government invests more than $16 billion annually in child nutrition programs under the Child Nutrition Act, Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, and related programs. On June 24, 2004, the House overwhelmingly approved the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act, a House-Senate consensus forged to strengthen these programs and improve their effectiveness for America’s most vulnerable children. “This is the most far-reaching child nutrition bill in a generation,” said Barry Sackin of the American School Food Service Association (ASFSA) in a recent interview with Education Daily."
Source:
Committee on Education and the Workforce
(U.S. House of Representatives)

Google.ca News Search Results : "Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act"
Google.ca Web Search Results : "Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act"
Source:
Google.ca

Modernization of Food Stamp Program Almost Complete - U.S.
June 25, 2004

Food Stamp Program Goes Electronic
Food-Bank Comment Causes Furor
NPR: Commentary: Food Stamps and Medicare
USDA: Food Stamp Program
The WIC Program: Background, Trends, and Issues
A Guide to Food Stamp Program Outreach

"Started in 1939, the food stamp program administered by the United States Department of Agriculture is one of the entitlement programs designated to provide a safety net for Americans. The program enjoys some of the greatest bipartisan support and continues to be immensely successful. Earlier this week, the Department of Agriculture announced that the paper stamps which have been issued under the program for over six decades will be completely phased out later this month and replaced by a plastic card that operates in the same fashion as a bank debit card. As part of this transformation of the program, the Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman has commented that the Agriculture Department will be asking for suggestions for a new name for the food stamp program, a move that may also reduce some of the stigma that has been associated with this extremely valuable initiative in the past. Currently only six counties in California and the U.S. territory of Guam still use the paper food stamps. The usually staid Department of Agriculture has also been in the news as of late due to a comment made by a senior official in that government office who noted in an interview that people who eat at food banks are "taking the easy way out." Several elected officials from the state of Ohio took great exception to his comment, remarking in a letter sent to his office that "You have displayed a disparaging attitude toward the victims of hunger and an astonishing lack of awareness of what is happening beyond the Beltway." [KMG]

The first link leads to a news piece from the Washington Post that discusses the modernization of the delivery system for food stamps in detail. The second link will take visitors to a news brief from MSNBC that provides a summary of the debate surrounding the recent comment made by a senior official at the Department of Agriculture regarding the use of food banks. The third link leads to a 3-minute audio feature from NPR on the continuing popularity of food stamp programs across the United States, reported by the venerable Daniel Schorr. The fourth link leads to the official United States Department of Agriculture website about the food stamp program, complete with eligibility details and research reports on the effectiveness of the program. The fifth link leads to an October 2002 report on the continued success of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (known colloquially as WIC), which "safeguards the health of low-income women, infants, and children up to age 5 who are at nutrition risk." The last and final link leads to a site that provides some fine information on the various food stamp benefit program outreach activities that are intended to provide information on eligibility and benefits, with the primary goal of increasing the participation rate amongst those eligible parties."
Review by The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2003

Characteristics of Food Stamp Households: Fiscal Year 2002
December 2003
Source:
Mathematica Policy Research

From the U.S. Conference of Mayors:

U.S. Conference of Mayors - Sodexho Hunger and Homelessness Survey 2003
Hunger, Homelessness Still On the Rise in Major U.S. Cities; 25-City Survey Finds Unemployment, Lack of Affordable Housing Account for Increased Needs
Press Release
December 18, 2003
"Washington, DC -- Hunger and homelessness continued to rise in major American cities over the last year, according to the new U.S. Conference of Mayors-Sodexho Hunger and Homelessness Survey, released today at the Conference of Mayors Headquarters. As the overall economy remained weak, requests for emergency food assistance increased by an average of 17 percent over the past year, and requests for emergency shelter assistance increased by an average of 13 percent in the 25 cities surveyed."

Hunger and Homelessness Survey:
A Status Report on Hunger and Homelessness in America’s Cities
A 25-City Survey (PDF file - 802K, 121 pages)
December 2003

Sources:
U.S. Conference of Mayors
Sodexho USA "the leading provider of food and facilities management in the United States"

Earlier hunger and homelessness reports from theU.S. Conference of Mayors (lower down on this page)

The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2003
November 2003
- Table of Contents and acknowledgements
- Flyer (PDF file - 91K, 4 pages)
- Complete report (PDF file - 369K, 40 pages)
- News Release (November 25, 2003)
Source:
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Created in 1945, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has a mandate "to raise levels of nutrition and standards of living, to improve agricultural productivity, and to better the condition of rural populations.(...) FAO has 183 member countries plus one member organization, the European Community. Since its inception, FAO has worked to alleviate poverty and hunger by promoting agricultural development, improved nutrition and the pursuit of food security - defined as the access of all people at all times to the food they need for an active and healthy life."

Food Stamp Participation Jumps in August 2003 to Almost 22.4 Million Persons;
Is Almost 5.5 Million Persons Higher Than in July 2000
Curent News and Analysis
November 7, 2003
- includes Food Stamp Program Participation Data in August 2003 compared with last month, last year and five years ago; also includes links to almost a dozen related online resources.
Source:
Food Research and Action Center
Related Link:
FRAC News Digest - "...highlights what's new on hunger, nutrition and poverty issues at FRAC, at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, around the network of national, state and local anti-poverty and anti-hunger organizations, and in the media."
News Digest Archives - links to almost 100 newsletters back to January 2002, each containing links to further resources

Food Stamp Program [ Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture ]
"The Food Stamp Program serves as the first line of defense against hunger. It enables low-income families to buy nutritious food with coupons and Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards."
- incl. info for : Applicants & Recipients - Retailers - Governments - Researchers - Public Advocacy Groups

Household Food Security in the United States, 2002
October 2003
Food Assistance and Nutrition Research Report
"Eighty-nine percent of American households were food secure throughout the entire year 2002, meaning that they had access, at all times, to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members. The remaining households were food insecure at least some time during that year. The prevalence of food insecurity rose from 10.7 percent in 2001 to 11.1 percent in 2002, and the prevalence of food insecurity with hunger rose from 3.3 percent to 3.5 percent. This report is based on data from the December 2002 food security survey."
Summary of Study Findings (PDF file - 73K, 2 pages)
Table of contents + links to all chapters and appendices
Complete report (PDF file - 421K, 58 pages)
Source:
Economic Research Service
[ U.S. Department of Agriculture ]

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) (Washington-Based)
"The mission of the International Food Policy Research Institute is to identify and analyze policies for sustainably meeting the food needs of the developing world. Research at IFPRI concentrates on economic growth and poverty alleviation in low-income countries, improvement of the well-being of poor people, and sound management of the natural resource base that supports agriculture."
- focus on Central and South America, the Middle East, Africa and Asia

Global Food Crises
Monitoring and Assessing Impact to Inform Policy Responses
Food Policy Report No. 19
By Todd Benson et al.
September 2008
Executive Summary
Complete report (PDF - 658K 52 pages)

[ earlier food policy reports ]
[ all IFPRI Publications ]

Source:
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
FPRI seeks sustainable solutions for ending hunger and poverty. IFPRI is one of 15 centers supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, an alliance of 64 governments, private foundations, and international and regional organizations.

Related IFPRI links:

Blog World Hunger http://www.ifpriblog.org
More newshttp://www.ifpri.org
IFPRI on Food Prices http://www.ifpri.org/themes/foodprices/foodprices.asp
IFPRI publications online catalog http://ifpri.catalog.cgiar.org/pubsearch.htm
IFPRI articles in external sources http://www.ifpri.org/pubs/articles/articles.asp
Stay current with IFPRI's Feed http://feeds.feedburner.com/Ifpriupdate

To subscribe to the IFPRI mailing list to receive alerts about their latest releases,
go to http://www.ifpri.org/new/NEWatIFPRI.asp

NEWatIFPRI
"NEWatIFPRI is an e-mail list that updates subscribers with the latest news, publications, and research results important to global food policy issues. IFPRI's mission is to identify and analyze strategies and policies for meeting food needs of the developing world on a sustainable basis, with particular emphasis on low-income countries and on the poorer groups in those countries."
Click on the link above to subscribe - you'll receive one or two issues per month by e-mail.

Global Action for Food Security
March 2007
By Joachim von Braun and Michiel Keyzer
The Centre for World Food Studies at Vrije University in the Netherlands and the International Food Policy Research Institute have recently increased their collaborative activities. Both centers are working on a study of China's agricultural transition. Recently the directors of the two institutes joined forces to discuss global action for food security.

Global Action for Food Security is based on a presentation and discussion by the two authors on global mechanisms to reduce hunger, given at an expert meeting in Amsterdam on September 27, 2006 in celebration of World Food Day and dialogues thereafter.

Source:
Centre for World Food Studies at Vrije University in the Netherlands and
the International Food Policy Research Institute

blog world hunger
Blog world hunger is an open global food and nutrition security diary that aims to help the effort to identify and analyze alternative national and international strategies and policies for meeting world food needs in ways that conserve the natural resource base. It is facilitated by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

Globalization, Trade and WTO - 70 links to online international resources on the subject of food security and globalization

2020 Vision
A 2020 Vision for Food, Agriculture, and the Environment is an international initiative of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) to identify solutions for meeting future world food needs while reducing poverty and protecting the environment.

World Water and Food to 2025: Dealing with Scarcity
November 5, 2002
Washington, D.C.
"Current water policies threaten global water and food security. This book describes future water situations and how we can avert a crisis."
Click on the above link to read more about this book, to examine the table of contents and download highlights, individual chapters or the complete report (see below) in PDF format, or you can also order a hard-copy version of the book.

Sustainable Food Security for All by 2020 — Proceedings of an International Conference
September 4–6, 2001 • Bonn, Germany
"IFPRI's 2020 Vision held a major international conference on food security last year in Bonn, Germany. More than 900 people from the public and private sectors and civil society came together for three days to discuss goals, solutions, and the actions necessary to end hunger in the next two decades. These proceedings compile the presentations made by more than 70 speakers, summaries of the discussions that followed, results of polls taken during the conference, and other highlights."
- From this page, you can download (as separate files) the entire proceedings, the table of contents or the foreword.
Publications Released for the 2020 Conference - links to over two dozen reports on food security prepared for or as a result of the Bonn conference.

Reaching Sustainable Food Security for All by 2020
"New Powerpoint tool for teachers, researchers, practitioners, and others working on global food security: 34 slides on IFPRI's action plan for ending hunger by 2020. The action plan reflects IFPRI's best judgment and the advice of more than 900 public, civil society, and private leaders."

DOWNLOAD the Powerpoint presentation (250K) : "A slideshow presentation resulting from the 2020 Bonn conference on achieving global food security."
Also available in the following formats:
HTML
PDF (276K)

Reaching Sustainable Food Security for All by 2020: Getting the Priorities and Responsibilities Right
May 2002
Full Report (PDF file - 1.1MB, 36 pages)
Highlights (PDF file - 630K, 14 pages)
"An action plan resulting from the 2020 Bonn conference on achieving global food security. Reflects IFPRI's best judgment and the advice of more than 900 public, civil society, and private leaders on the actions needed to end hunger by 2020."

THE INFO FINDER - A global link to research on agriculture, hunger, poverty, and the environment.
This convenient new search engine allows you to easily find digital information from the websites of all 16 Future Harvest Centers, the CGIAR, and FAO, which collaboratively developed this research tool.

Food Research and Action Center (U.S)
"The Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) is a leading national organization working to improve public policies to eradicate hunger and undernutrition in the United States. Founded in 1970 as a public interest law firm, FRAC is a nonprofit and nonpartisan research and public policy center that serves as the hub of an anti-hunger network of thousands of individuals and agencies across the country."

Federal Food Programs in the U.S
- incl. links to info about : Food Stamp Program - National School Lunch Program - School Breakfast Program - Summer Food Service Program for Children - Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants & Children - Child and Adult Care Food Program - The Emergency Food Assistance Program - Community Food and Nutrition Program - Resources to assist afterschool and summer programs in using the child nutrition programs
- also incl. State Profiles (Choose a state to view a profile of the Federal Food Programs in the state)and a National Profile.

United States:
The Food Assistance Landscape, March 2005
Food Assistance and Nutrition Research Report
"Expenditures for USDA's 15 food assistance programs totaled $46 billion from October 1, 2003, to September 30, 2004, marking the second consecutive year in which spending exceeded the previous record high. The fiscal 2004 spending level represented a 10-percent increase from the previous fiscal year, the fourth consecutive year in which total food assistance expenditures increased. Five programs—the Food Stamp Program, the National School Lunch Program, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), the School Breakfast Program, and the Child and Adult Care Food Program—accounted for 94 percent of USDA's total expenditures for food assistance."

Complete report:

The Food Assistance Landscape, March 2005 (PDF file - 247K, 6 pages)

Related Links:

Food & Nutrition Assistance Programs
Food Security in the United States (ERS Briefing Room)

Source:
Economic Research Service (ERS)
[ U.S. Department of Agriculture ]

Federal Nutrition Programs Making Record
Difference for Families, Children and Elderly
Press Release
February 23, 2005
"FRAC Finds National and State Performance Gaps Remain;
Warns Budget Cut Proposals Could Add to Hunger"

Complete report:

From the U.S. Conference of Mayors:

Hunger, Homelessness On the Rise in Major U.S. Cities
Mayors' 25-City Survey Finds High Housing Costs, Weak Economy Increase Need
2002 Hunger/Homelessness Report Released
Press Release
December 18, 2002
"As housing costs continued to rise faster than incomes and the national economy remained weak, requests for emergency food assistance increased an average of 19 percent over the past year, according to a 25-city survey released today by the U.S. Conference of Mayors. The survey also found that requests for emergency shelter assistance grew an average of 19 percent in the 18 cities that reported an increase, the steepest rise in a decade."
Full Report (PDF file - 1MB, 141 pages)

Mayors Call to Action (PDF file - 17K, 2 pages)
Other Sources of Information - PDF file - 18K, 1 page)
Supporting studies and reports on hunger and homelessness from six organizations, from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture to the National Coalition for the Homeless
Sample:
Household Food Security in the United States, 2001 (U.S. Department of Agriculture)
Released November 2002
"The number of food-insecure households increased 9.4% from 10.5 million in 1999 to 11.5 million in 2001."

Related Links:

17th Annual Survey of Hunger and Homelessness in America's Cities
December 12, 2001
Press Release
Full Report (PDF file - 400K, 137 pages)
...or click on the Press Release link above and select from the following files : Summary - Hunger - Homelessness - Housing - Outlook
16th Annual Survey on Hunger and Homelessness in America's Cities (December 14, 2000)

Related Link:

World Food Summit - Rome, November 1996
- incl. links to : Why the summit? - Opening Interventions by participants - Documents - Parallel Events - Conclusion - World Food Summit Newsletter

Future Harvest (International)
"Future Harvest is a global initiative, incorporated in June 1998 as a charitable and educational organization to advance debate and catalyze action for a world with less poverty, a healthier human family, and a better environment. In 2001, Future Harvest UK was established in the United Kingdom. Future Harvest was created by 16 food and environmental research centers, known as the Future Harvest Centers, located around the world. These centers are supported by 58 governments, private foundations, and international and regional organizations known as the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR)."
Site Map - links to everything on the site on one page
- incl. the five pillars of the Future Harvest organization : Peace - Growth - Earth - Health - People
Related Links :

Future Harvest Centers - "international food and environmental research centers located throughout the world that are working to increase food security, reduce poverty, and protect the environment in the developing countries."
Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR)

Economic Perspectives - May 2002
Food Security and Safety
Source : U.S. Department of State
Office of International Information Programs (IIP)
(formerly the Information Bureau of the United States Information Agency)

Electronic Journals of the U.S. Department of State

Working Papers - Cornell Food and Nutrition Policy Program
Links to dozens of downloadable working papers on food, nutrition, poverty, health, etc - all international (no Canadian content)
Source : Cornell Food and Nutrition Policy Program at Cornell UniversityHunger in America 2001
"This report presents the results of a study conducted in 2001 for America's Second Harvest (A2H), the nation's largest organization of emergency food providers. The study is based on completed in-person interviews with more than 32,000 clients served by the A2H network, as well as completed questionnaires from nearly 24,000 A2H agencies."
November 11, 2001
Complete Report (PDF file - 618K, 289 pages)

Report of the 27th Session of the Committee on World Food Security
Rome, 28 May - 1 June 2001

List of Documents from the 27th Session - links to 16 documents

Food Insecurity and Public Assistance (U.S.)
Working Paper
George J. Borjas
May 2001
This paper examines the extent to which welfare programs reduce the probability that vulnerable household are food insecure, where food insecurity occurs when the household experiences food deprivation because of financial resource constraints.
(The above link takes you to the Working Paper abstract)
Complete Paper (PDF file - 150K, 54 pages)
Source : Joint Center for Poverty Research (JCPR)

From the The U.S Conference of Mayors (USCM) :

National Call to Action

Press Release
February 27, 2002
"Citizens from every state in the nation join America's Second Harvest to issue urgent call to action for more food for the hungry Recession, job loss send thousands more to food-relief agencies and supplies can't keep pace with demand."

A National Call to Action - links to : The Facts (Increased Need, The Impact of 9/11, National Statistics) - Press Materials (Media Advisory, Press Release, E-Bibliography, CEO Biography) - What Can Be Done (What can I do?, Volunteer, Make a Donation, Spread the Word, Know the Issues

Hunger and homelessness up sharply in major U.S. cities
Conference of Mayors’ 27-City Survey Finds Weak U.S. Economy Means More People in Need
Press Release
December 12, 2001
On this page, you'll find links to the complete report, a report summary and individual sections on hunger, homelessness and housing, as well as a section entitled Outlook

17th Annual Conference Survey of Hunger, Homelessness (USCM)
December 17, 2001
Article (includes report highlights)
"To assess the status of hunger and homelessness in America's cities during 2001 The U.S. Conference of Mayors surveyed 27 major cities whose mayors were members of its Task Force on Hunger and Homelessness. The survey sought information and estimates from each city on
1) the demand for emergency food assistance and emergency shelter and the capacity of local agencies to meet that demand;
2) the causes of hunger and homelessness and the demographics of the populations experiencing these problems;
3) exemplary programs or efforts in the cities to respond to hunger and homelessness;
4) the availability of affordable housing for low income people; and
5) the outlook for the future and the impact of the economy on hunger and homelessness."

THE STATE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE 2000
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations
Rome (2000)
Incredible resource - contains excellent historical information as well as current info on a wide range of issues related to food and agriculture, e.g., Microcredit - the world food crisis - social issues - food security - and much, much more
- Go to the FAO website

Bread for the World (U.S.)
Bread for the World is a nationwide Christian citizens movement seeking justice for the world's hungry people by  lobbying our nation's decision makers.
Check the site map - lots here to examine.
See Issues and Actions
- Links to Other Anti-Hunger and Poverty Organizations
and more...

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations - Food for All
Since its creation in October 1945, FAO has worked to alleviate poverty and hunger by promoting agricultural development, improved nutrition and the pursuit of food security - the access of all people at all times to the food they need for an active and healthy life. The Organization offers direct development assistance, collects, analyses and disseminates information, provides policy and planning advice to governments and acts as an international forum for debate on food and agriculture issues.
 Special Programme for Food Security
Towards Sustainable Food Security

Community Food Security Coalition
The CFSC is a California-based non-profit membership-based national coalition of over 600 organizations and individuals that focus on food and agriculture issues. Our mission is to bring about lasting social change by promoting community-based solutions to hunger, poor nutrition, and the globalization of the food system.

Eldis Food Security Guide (UK)
Incl. links to food security country-profiles (Africa - Asia - Latin America) International organisations - Famine Early Warning Systems - Situation reports - Statistics - Research Centres - Discussion lists - Bibliographical sources - HungerWeb

U.N. World Food Programme - The food aid organization of the United Nations

Food First
Founded in 1975, the Institute for Food and Development Policy -- better known as Food First -- is a member-supported, nonprofit 'peoples' think tank  and education-for-action center. Our work highlights root causes and value-based solutions to hunger and poverty around the world, with  a commitment to establishing food as a fundamental human right.

Food for the Hungry is an international organization that exists to fulfill a God-given mandate to help people overcome both physical and spiritual hungers (Isaiah 58). Our efforts include integrated, child-focused development and relief programs in more than 25 countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

State by State Guide to key statistics on hunger, poverty and federal nutrition programs

Cities Feeding People
- This site provides information about the program initiative on urban agriculture (UA) at Canada's International Development Research Centre.
IDRC supports applied, multidisciplinary research on food security and urban policy issues in the South.
 

United Nations World Food Programme WFP is the frontline United Nations organisation fighting to eradicate world hunger -- whether it is the hunger that suddenly afflicts people fleeing ethnic conflict in Rwanda or Bosnia or the chronic hunger that affects the hungry poor in countries such as Bangladesh or India. WFP became operational in 1963 and is now the world's largest international food aid organisation. -  About WPF - Newsroom

Food Bank Central (Massachusetts)
Northwest Harvest (Washington State)
World Health Organization
World Hunger Year (New York)
EarthSave Canada
Food Not Bombs
The Digger Archives
World Hunger Year

 

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