Thank you, Chair.

Good afternoon to the committee members. Thank you for the opportunity to present today.

My name is Anthony Musiwa, and I am the senior policy adviser in the poverty action unit at Community Food Centres Canada.

I am joined here by my colleague Jasmine Ramze Rezaee, who is the director of the poverty action unit at Community Food Centres Canada.

At Community Food Centres Canada, we support and strengthen the community food sector, collaborating with our six regional networks and more than 400 partners for progressive policy change. We envision a country where the right to food is realized for all, and where every community has a place for food that nurtures health, well-being, belonging and social justice.

Our head office is actually located in Ms. Dzerowicz's riding, and we really appreciate the support she has provided us over the years.

As we gather this afternoon, it is crucial to acknowledge that we are facing a grave food insecurity crisis. Nearly 8.7 million people in our country are experiencing food insecurity. That is one in every four people who is compromising on the quantity or quality of food they eat, with some even going for days without eating. This crisis has only worsened, with food insecurity rates increasing by 26% in 2023 compared to the previous year.

Our partners on the front lines share alarming insights into the stress faced by the millions of Canadians who cannot afford adequate, nourishing food. For example, in 2023, the Depot Community Food Centre in Montreal distributed approximately 20,000 food baskets, and that is double the number they had distributed the previous year. They have had to turn people away from their food access programs and reduce the number of program days for the very first time ever. This is a challenging situation that is playing out across the country.

We also know that indigenous and racialized people, people living with disabilities, single adults, female single-parent households, newcomers and trans people experience food insecurity rates that are two to three times higher than the national average. As food prices and the cost of living continue to rise while incomes remain stagnant, this crisis will only worsen. We need comprehensive, sustained and accountable government action.

Governments have been off-loading their responsibility to food banks, but food banks and emergency food programs are merely band-aid solutions to a much deeper problem. Food insecurity is fundamentally an income problem. In our recent pre-budget 2025 submission, we emphasized the need for urgent action that addresses the root cause of food insecurity, which is inadequate income, so that everyone can afford to meet their basic needs. We propose evidence-based policy options to increase household incomes and ensure all Canadians can afford adequate, nourishing food.

We recommend creating a dignified income support program for people aged 18 to 64 who are living in households facing food insecurity and poverty. This can be done in two complementary ways. First, we could transform the existing GST/HST credit into a groceries and essentials benefit that provides $150 per month per adult living on a low or modest income, and $50 per child, helping to offset the rising cost of groceries and necessities.

Another approach would be to transform the Canada workers benefit into an enhanced tax credit—a Canada working-age supplement. This could be achieved by removing the employment earnings requirement and increasing the benefit amount, ensuring that adults who are living on low and fixed incomes can afford their basic needs.

We also recommend creating a more equitable and fair Canada disability benefit. While the Canada disability benefit is a step in the right direction, the proposed regulations are inadequate to lift most people with disabilities out of poverty and food insecurity. We urge the government to raise the income threshold for eligibility above the poverty line, accounting for the additional cost of living with a disability. We also urge the government to increase the benefit amount, as a $200-per-month benefit is grossly insufficient. Lastly, we urge the government to broaden eligibility beyond the disability tax credit, which is already difficult for people with disabilities to access.

Finally, we call on you to set a target to reduce food insecurity by 50% and eradicate severe food insecurity by 2030. Establishing a clear target will drive focus, accountability and action. Success on this front will enable the development of an integrated approach across government, the private sector and civil society.

Food is a basic human right. It is the government's profound responsibility to ensure that everyone can live with dignity. Canada is such an affluent nation. We can and must do better. The decisions you make in the 2025 budget will determine whether or not we move forward toward a future where everyone in Canada, regardless of their circumstances, can live with dignity and security.

Thank you once again for the opportunity to share our ideas before this committee. My colleague Jasmine and I welcome any questions and the chance to discuss these critical issues further.

Thank you.