Legislative committee hears ways to help Nova Scotians struggling with rising food prices

The Nova Scotia legislature’s public accounts committee heard from a number of witnesses, including Feed Nova Scotia, about how rising fuel and grocery prices are affecting people.

Feed Nova Scotia said they’ve seen a dramatic increase in the number of people accessing food banks.

The not-for-profit said it distributed three million kilograms of food in the last fiscal year — the highest in Feed Nova Scotia’s 38-year history.

“Look at the cause of the factors such as affordable housing, such as having a minimum wage that’s more reflective of a living wage, indexing — and I realize it’s difficult — indexing income assistance to inflation,” said executive director, Nick Jennery.

Jennery said there has been an increase in people accessing food banks for the first time.

“We’re also seeing large families, families of five or more,” he said.

The NDP MLA for Dartmouth South, Claudia Chender, said supplying children with nutritious meals at school for no cost is a critical first step in the long-term solution surrounding food insecurity.

“We create good jobs, we feed kids, we strengthen their educational outcomes, we address child poverty, we can strengthen our local procurement,” she said.

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The Department of Community Services said they are looking into an expansion of the school breakfast program.

“In the coming months, we will be coming forward with a fulsome strategy as well as targets around reduction of child poverty,” said Tracey Taweel, the department’s deputy minister.

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Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture is also looking into the possibility of running several pilot programs in schools, which would source local food.

“We are actively pursuing that and hope to enter into discussions about what we may be able to do in that space,” said Loretta Robichaud, that department’s deputy minister.

But Liberal MLA Brendan McGuire said the provincial government needs to take action now, as 2022 is the first time in years there hasn’t been an increase in income assistance.

“There are lots of things they could be looking at. They could be looking at increasing minimum wage. But, unfortunately, they’re not,” said McGuire, who represents Halifax Atlantic.

The Canada Food Price Report suggests food costs will go up between five to seven per cent this year.