Canadian government: Another $30M to Food Security Fund
by CM Staff
Emergency Food Security Fund recipients will use a portion of the funds to purchase surplus PEI potatoes and redistribute them to local food serving organizations who have expressed the need for this commodity.
OTTAWA — Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Marie-Claude Bibeau, announced a $30 million top-up for the Emergency Food Security Fund, bringing total funding to $330 million.
According to the statement from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, this additional investment is aimed at addressing the increased demand and fewer resources faced by food banks and local food organizations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The statement also explained that food insecurity rates increased over the pandemic, with one in seven Canadian households having to endure food insecurity over a one-month period during the pandemic.
Agriculture Canada also stated that funding will be divided between Food Banks Canada, Second Harvest, Breakfast Club of Canada, Community Food Centres Canada, The Salvation Army, and La Tablée des Chefs, who in turn will continue their work to distribute it to thousands of local food organizations across the country.
Local organizations will use the funding to purchase and distribute food and other basic necessities to meet the emergency needs of the most vulnerable people. They may also hire temporary help to cope with volunteer shortages and adapt operations to help keep workers, volunteers and recipients safe.
According to the government statement, the Emergency Food Security Fund has supported more than 5,000 local food initiatives across Canada, with over 1,100 initiatives directly supporting Indigenous organizations and communities.
Emergency Food Security Fund recipients will use a portion of the funds to purchase surplus PEI potatoes and redistribute them to local food serving organizations who have expressed the need for this commodity, according to Agriculture Canada.
