Food is a right: Mobilizing communities for change

At Right To Food, we work with a network of over 450 community food organizations to bring our systems-change advocacy to life. Our commitment to realizing the right to food for everyone in Canada starts with building people power.

During this year’s #NoMoreScraps federal election campaign, we provided more than 50 microgrants to frontline partners, enabling them to host community events that made food insecurity impossible to ignore. These events ranged from meet-the-candidate panels to roundtables and beyond, sparking civic engagement, a vital ingredient of a healthy democracy, in communities across the country.

Participants found the sessions educational and empowering

For some community members facing food insecurity, this was the first time they were invited to share their thoughts and experiences directly with local candidates.

A participant shared that it was their first time attending a meet-the-candidate event. They felt empowered to ask a question directly to the candidates. “I didn’t expect to share my experience when challenging one candidate’s notion of the people who would be in need. […] That was amazing for me to experience.” Many other participants appreciated being able to engage with their candidates directly.

For newcomers and first-time voters, the information provided during the election events made them feel more knowledgeable, confident, and engaged about participating in the election process. The events helped reinforce the importance of voting and its connection to issues like food insecurity.

One participant shared: “The election event helped me gather important information to decide on my vote.” Others found the experience to be highly educational. They said it gave them an understanding of why voting is important, and the confidence to go out and vote themselves.

Connections and support from community

For other community members, sharing their experience of food insecurity with their neighbours helped them feel supported and connected to others. Their feedback highlighted real, everyday challenges that their peers could relate to.

For example, participants shared how food insecurity deeply affects people experiencing homelessness and also working families, seniors, and newcomers. Others expressed frustration and concern about the growing gap between the cost of living and the support available. Participants also called for political action on shared issues like affordable housing, mental health care, and access to culturally appropriate food.

A single mother facing chronic food insecurity shared her story at a community roundtable and later said she felt “seen and heard for the first time.”

Another attendee expressed deep gratitude for being part of “a conversation about poverty and food security that wasn’t performative or abstract.”

Learn more and support the right to food

Moments like these underscore the importance of participatory, grounded democratic spaces. We are grateful to the community food organizations that hosted federal election events, the community members who courageously spoke out and made the issue of food insecurity more tangible for the candidates, and the candidates who showed up and listened.

Click here to learn more about our policy and advocacy work