“Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.”
World Food Summit, 1996.
What you will find
These resources provide Canadian information to help you plan programs that improve access to nutritious food. For more information, please visit the Best Practices section for interventions related to food security.
Data
A first step to planning a program or policy change is to understand the issue of food security:
Canadian Data
- Food insecurity in Canada (PDF document), Statistics Canada (2015).
- Better health: An analysis of public policy and programming focusing on the determinants of health and health outcomes that are effective in achieving the healthiest populations, National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health (2012).
Aboriginal Data
- First Nations food, nutrition and environmental study, Assembly of First Nations.
- Aboriginal food security in northern Canada: An assessment of the state of knowledge (PDF document), Council of Canadian Academies (2014).
Health Canada
- Determining food security status.
- Canada’s nutrition and health atlas.
- Monitoring household food insecurity over time.
- Measuring the food environment in Canada, (2013).
Statistics Canada
- The increase in food prices between 2007 and 2012, (2013).
- Household food insecurity, data tables (includes provincial/territorial data) (2012).
- Associations between household food insecurity and health outcomes in the Aboriginal population (excluding reserves) (2011).
- Household food insecurity, 2007–2008, article.
Provincial/Territorial Data
Atlantic
- The food insecurity-obesity paradox as a vicious cycle for women: A qualitative study (PDF document), Atlantic Centre of Excellence in Women’s Health (2012).
British Columbia
- Cost of eating in British Columbia 2011, Dietitions of Canada.
- Food for thought: The issues and challenges of food security (PDF document), Provincial Health Services Authority (2010).
Nunavut
- 2014 Nunavut food price survey (PDF document), Nunavut Bureau of Statistics (2014).
Quebec
- Sécurité et insécurité alimentaire chez les Québécois : Une analyse de la situation en lien avec leurs habitudes alimentaires (PDF document) (French only). Report on the household food security in Quebec based on information from Statistics Canada. Institut national de santé publique du Québec (2011).
- Proportion of the population 12 years and over in food insecure situations by different dimensions, Quebec, 1998-1999 to 2003, Institut national de santé publique du Québec (2008).
Saskatchewan
- Cartographies of salt: Sodium, healthy eating and the build environment, Prairie Women’s Health Centre of Excellence (2013).
International Data
- Food and agriculture organization of the United Nations (FAOSTAT), time series and cross-sectional data on hunger, food and agriculture for 245 countries from 1961 to present.
Government Strategies (Frameworks, Action Plans, etc)
Canadian Strategies
- Community Food Centres, Canada.
- Working with grocers to support healthy eating, Health Canada (2013).
- Canada’s fifth progress report on food security: In response to the World Food Summit plan of action, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (2008).
Provincial/Territorial Strategies
Some provincial/territorial and international strategies on healthy eating also include information on food security.
British Columbia
- BC food security gateway, Web portal. Provincial Health Services Authority and Public Health Association of BC.
- Food security: Programs & initiatives, Ministry of Health.
- Promoting healthy eating and sustainable local food in BC: An action framework for Public Institutions-Health Authorities, Educational Institutions, Childcare facilities and local governments (PDF document), Provincial Health Services Authority (2011).
Manitoba
- Action plan: Food security (PDF document), Government of Manitoba (2013).
- Northern healthy foods initiative, Government of Manitoba.
Nunavut
- Nunavut food security strategy and action plan 2014-2016 (PDF document), Government of Nunavut (2014).
- Hunger in Nunavut: Local food for healthier communities, Action Canada (2014).
- Nunavut food security coalition, in collaboration Government of Nunavut.
Yukon
- A better Yukon for all: Government of Yukon’s social inclusion and poverty reduction strategy, (includes reducing inequities in access to food) (2012).
- Yukon nutrition framework (PDF document), Government of Yukon (2010) .
International Strategies
- Increasing food security: CIDA’s food security strategy (PDF document), Canadian International Development Agency.
- USAID: Agriculture and food security.
- Strategic plan 2008-2013, World Food Programme.
- Comprehensive framework for action, The Secretary-General’s High-Level Task Force on the Global Food Security Crisis (2008).
Guidance
Canadian Guidance
- Evaluating outcomes of community food actions: A guide, Public Health Agency of Canada (2012).
Provincial/Territorial Guidance
British Columbia
- Model Core Program Paper: Food Security (PDF document), Population and Public Health, BC Ministry of Health (2014).
- A seat at the table: Resource guide for local governments to promote food secure communities (PDF document), Provincial Health Services Authority (2008).
- Community food assessment guide (PDF document), Provincial Health Services Authority (2008).
Ontario
- Ontario nutritious food basket guidance document (PDF document), Ministry of Health Promotion (2010).
International Guidance
- Food security communications toolkit (PDF document), Improved Global Governance for Hunger Reduction (2012).
- Comprehensive food security and vulnerability analysis (CFSVA) guidelines-First edition, World Food Programme (2009).