(Picture: credit to CBC News)
It seems that food prices are quite high in Canada’s remote northern locations. This is made clear in a recent article, posted at CBC News, highlighting an important Food Bank Conference which took place in Thunder Bay (Canada), from the 12th through 14th of June. These high prices, of course, affect the ability of food banks to access “high-quality, high protein food”, which translates into higher costs and, ultimately, less availability of these foods.
Chris Hatch, who leads Mississauga Food Bank and also the Ontario Association of Food Banks, showed his concerns over the fact that many other Food Bank delegates were not aware of these higher prices, but also emphasized that this conference gave them the opportunity to discuss some of Ontario’s Liberal government initiatives. Among these initiatives is basic income, a policy that was particularly highlighted and discussed at this venue, mainly due to its potential benefits such as getting people out of poverty. With less poverty, better nutrition standards are likely to follow, as already observed in basic income trials in India and Namibia, for instance.
It is also noteworthy that Rob Reiner, long time basic income advocate and ex-officio advisor to Basic Income Canada Network Board of Directors, was a keynote speaker at this conference, as presented in its Program.
More information at:
“Ontario Food Bank conference wraps up in Thunder Bay“, CBC News, June 15th 2016
Ontario Association of Food Banks, 2016 OAFB Conference
