Food insecurity and charity strain in Canada

Food assistance organizations in Canada are experiencing unprecedented pressure due to rising demand and resource shortages. An Ipsos survey for Second Harvest found that 89% of responding non-profits saw an increase in demand over a one-year period, with 35% forced to turn people away and 33% maintaining waitlists.

Data from the Food Banks Canada HungerCount 2026 report indicates that monthly visits reached a record 2.35 million in March 2026, marking an 8.7% increase from 2025 and a 117% rise since 2019. The crisis affects diverse demographics, including children—who account for approximately 776,000 monthly visits—and employed individuals, whose representation rose to nearly 18% of clients.

Economic factors, including a 30% rise in food prices, a 28% increase in housing costs, and a 24% increase in transportation costs since 2021, have forced many to choose between food and other essentials such as rent and utilities.

In response to the rising demand, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has selected Food Banks Canada and Second Harvest to administer up to $20 million from the federal Local Food Infrastructure Fund’s Community Support Stream. Each organization will receive up to $10 million to assist eligible food banks and non-profits with food acquisition and distribution.