Food Insecurity Reaches a Crisis Point in Ontario

However, the larger question is: Is this the only concern we should have? Carolyn Stewart, CEO of Feed Ontario, doesn’t believe so, and she is not alone in her thinking. Her views align with those of leading social scientists from top universities in Ontario, who argue that food insecurity goes beyond mere access to food. It impacts other critical aspects of daily life, including housing, healthcare, and essential services vital to mental, physical, and psychological well-being.

An earlier report from McMaster University in Hamilton, conducted in partnership with Hamilton Food Share, found that only 4% of food bank users had stable housing. When asked about the impact of food bank support on their lives, 46% of those with stable housing indicated that they would “most likely be homeless without food bank support,” as it allowed them to allocate funds typically spent on food toward rent and housing.

Stewart hopes this report highlights the connection between the food crisis and poverty, a reality that she believes is becoming increasingly evident throughout the province.

Supporting her perspective, Stewart emphasises that healthy communities depend on meeting their members’ basic needs in a timely and sufficient manner to satisfy both short- and long-term requirements. When these needs go unmet, poverty can take root in communities, ultimately eroding trust in the official institutions meant to ensure people’s safety and support.

So, how dire is the current situation? The statistics tell a troubling story. In the eleven months from April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025:

– 1,007,441 people visited a food bank, for a total of 8,712,897 visits.

– This marks a 1% increase from the previous Year and an 87% increase since 2020.

– 76% of food bank visitors are rental tenants.

– 61% are individuals on social assistance.

– 23% are employed.

– 29% are children.

Notably, 34% of those surveyed reported making their first visit to a food bank within the last Year, down from 43% in 2023-24. While this may seem like positive news, the reduction merely reflects visits from new immigrants.

So, what accounts for the rise in numbers?

The increased demand is primarily from individuals already using food banks. The new report indicates that these users are becoming more reliant on food banks for extended periods. The Hunger Report reveals that whereas individuals previously visited food banks five to six times a year, that number has now risen to nine to ten times in the same period.

A striking example is the township of Cochrane, Ontario. In July 2025, the town declared a food insecurity emergency after its local food bank reported a 106% increase in the number of people utilizing its services over the past three years. The food bank’s general manager informed town councillors that they were being urged to provide urgent food assistance to around 4,000 residents, despite the town’s total population being just 5,390 (according to the 2024 census). The general manager described the situation as “scary” and “insane.”