Food as a Human Right

FOOD IS A HUMAN RIGHT are the words emblazoned across our meeting room walls. It motivates our staff, encourages volunteers, and gives confidence to food bank visitors that they deserve to thrive.

But we get lots of questions about it too —

• “People can’t expect the government to just give them food for free.”
• “Where is the personal responsibility if we just give people food?”
• “How do you make sure that people don’t abuse the food bank?”

Since food as a human right is foundational to Food Banks Mississauga’s philosophy and operation, let’s unpack what FOOD AS A HUMAN RIGHT means.

First off, I am not proposing that the government should set up free stores and everyone is ‘entitled’ to free stuff. But, as food is a requirement for life, we must treat it differently from any other consumer good.

The federal government is obliged, as a signatory to the UN Declaration of Human Rights, to ensure the conditions are in place for people to be able to meet their own food needs. 

It states: “Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services…”

What conditions need to be in place so that everyone can have a standard of living adequate for their health and well-being, including food? 

It’s not just food safety laws, so that food is grown, handled, and distributed without causing illness, or zoning laws that put food stores close to where people live and work. Food costs money, so how do we ensure conditions where everyone can afford to buy food? Canada must establish a framework of laws and programs to ensure that citizens can meet their own food needs. 

Currently, laws and programs are not strong enough to create conditions where everyone can have a standard of living adequate for their health and well-being. Canada is not meeting obligations under human rights law. 

• Minimum wage is up to $10 per hour less than a living wage, meaning working full-time at minimum wage is not enough to afford basics
• Disability supports leave a person $11,504 below the poverty line, and welfare programs leave a person $18,874 below the poverty line, meaning not enough income for rent and food
• Rent control has been discontinued, resulting in the average cost of rent increasing by 54% in decade, leaving households no money for food
• Anti-monopoly rules are weak – a Grocery Code of Conduct was only created in 2024 and took effect in June 2025, and grocery prices have risen 28% since 2019
• Employment insurance doesn’t cover the types of jobs Canadians have today (such as gig work) – only 39% of applicants are approved compared to 83% in 1989.

Because these conditions have not been created, compassionate neighbours donate to food banks to make sure their neighbours don’t go hungry, and we seek donations of and rescue food to give to neighbours at no cost. With the pandemic, followed by inflation and cost-of-living crises, the situation is worse than it has ever been.

Canada can do better. We can build a society where everyone can afford food without having to rely on a charity. If our neighbours’ right to food was met – conditions were in place that they could meet their own food needs – here’s what it could look like:

• Food is available for sale everywhere, close to home, at prices that anyone can afford. Grocery stores prioritize locally grown food that reflects the cultural preferences and diets of folks who live nearby. There are farmers markets, independent co-ops, and other ways to purchase food.
• Homes are available at a variety of price points, reflecting no more than 30% of a household’s gross income. Increases to rent are controlled to not grow faster than inflation, and tenants are protected from unnecessary evictions.
• Workers in every sector and at every level of experience earn incomes that allow them to rent a home that is suitable for their household, with enough money left over to pay for food and other needs.
• Those with disabilities receive enough funds each month to afford a home that is suitable for their household, with enough money left over to pay for food and other needs.
• All those who are unemployed are supported with enough income that they can keep their home while looking for work, regardless of whether they worked in a “gig” job, contract, or permanent employment.
• Food banks still exist, but they are for emergencies, and use is sporadic, not how growing segments of the community meet their monthly needs. 

Canadian society raised us to believe that if we worked hard enough, got a good education, and found a good job, we would be able to thrive in life. And that if things went wrong, we would have a safety net to catch us. 

Let’s make that true again and create the conditions where everyone can meet their food needs.