December 11, 2018 | Eric Melillo
The high cost of healthy eating is an ongoing concern for many families and individuals in Ontario’s northern communities. It often leads to food insecurity, a situation in which people are unable to obtain a nutritionally adequate and culturally appropriate diet due to financial restrictions and other barriers (Dietitians of Canada 2016). Currently, the Canadian government has initiatives in place, such as Nutrition North Canada (NNC), designed to reduce the cost of healthy eating in remote northern communities. There are also other Canadian government initiatives, such as food centres in “connected northern communities” (i.e., communities accessible by road) and elsewhere across Canada, to address the prevalence of food insecurity.
This paper will look at the issue of high food costs across Northern Ontario and the resulting food insecurity. It will explore the causes of higher food prices in this region, as well as other underlying social concerns that contribute to food insecurity, and propose potential solutions to address this issue.