Oct 20, 2021

                World Food Day was founded by the United Nations’ (UN)

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 1945, and has been observed annually, every October 16, since 1981. The event was established to increase awareness of world hunger and poverty and to inspire solutions for world change. World Food Day aims to promote healthy diets and eradicate hunger issues by 2030. This year’s theme is “Safe foods now for a healthy tomorrow.”

                As we enter the second year of the covid19 pandemic, it is difficult to imagine that food has not been available to all people around the world due to lockdowns and the transference of this virus. Canada deemed truck drivers of food and food products as essential workers during periods of lockdown. Food services through restaurants were delivered and people turned to online shopping and pick up for groceries so that they did not enter stores. This has become a convenience and new normal for many families. 

Yet this was not possible for many people these last 18 months or so. Many people lost jobs, and faced uncertain futures. A recent article in the Globe and Mail states,” Food Charities outnumber grocery stores in Canada 4to1. That should bother you.” This means that for every, “Loblaws,  Metro, Safeway or Northern grocery store in your community there are four churches, temples mosques, senior centres, schools or social programs providing food for people who may not have the means to buy it.” Over 6.7 million Canadians are served by these food distribution organizations where more than $33 billion dollars of food is distrusted last year. What this means is that there are roadblocks for making food affordable, accessible and abundant on the tables of every Canadian in a country where more than half of the food we produce ends up in landfill.

                What does this mean for Canadians? Food insecurity exists because there is a lack of regular access to enough safe, nutritious food to meet a person’s dietary needs. Poor diet quality and basic hunger then leads to physical and mental health problems as well as lower educational outcomes. And what needs to change to alleviate this problem? We need to have investments in distribution and economic shifts for rental housing, accessible, affordable childcare and improved social benefits.

                The other major problem is that there is too much edible food being wasted when people are going hungry- right here in Canada. The system of distribution needs to change so that food insecurity may be reduced. So how do we change it? We need to advocate for those who do not receive enough money for food and to share with political leaders that there are people in need. We need to also recognize that people have the same needs- and to share this concern with those who might bring change.

                We need to do what Jesus asks, to care for those vulnerable and those in need. Our community and our country depends upon these actions. We still need to support these distribution centres for food, but we also need to recognize the need for change so that all may afford to buy their food- good and healthy food.

PRAYER

God as we consider the invisible food network we pray for those who will go to bed undernourished or are hungry. We pray for political leaders to take bold action for change. We pray that food insecurity will be reduced and that we may all eat of the abundance You provide. Hear our prayers O God and enable us to act as we seek your guidance to do so. Amen.