The Alternative Federal Budget: Food security demands more than economic growth

Canada prides itself on abundance: of land, opportunity, and compassion. Yet one in four people across the country can’t afford to put food on the table, and in northern and remote communities, the rate doubles. Families are skipping meals, seniors are choosing between food and medication, and parents are rationing groceries so that their kids can eat first.

The paradox is stark: one of the world’s most prosperous nations cannot guarantee healthy, nourishing food for everyone. We must, and can, do better.

Released today, the 2026 Alternative Federal Budget (AFB) offers a vision for building a fairer and more economically secure Canada. It reimagines what’s possible when public good is at the heart of budgetary planning. Developed by a broad coalition of civil society, labour, and policy experts whose work is deeply rooted in local communities, the AFB demonstrates that systemic change is achievable through bold, values-driven leadership.

At its core, the AFB proposes a new model for national renewal: investing in people, communities, and public institutions as the foundation for long-term security. It rejects austerity and short-term fixes in favour of resilience—funding housing, income and social supports, climate adaptation, and domestic food systems to protect Canadians from global shocks.

This year’s AFB Food Security chapter underscores the importance of incomes in ensuring food security. When people have enough money, they can feed themselves with dignity. The chapter also highlights the critical role of funding for local food systems and Indigenous and Black food sovereignty, recognizing that supporting community-led programs, land stewardship, and access to culturally appropriate foods is essential for addressing hunger in Indigenous and Black communities.

Recent federal moves, such as making the National School Food Program permanent, are steps in the right direction. In previous years, the AFB has called for this program, echoing the advocacy by schools and community partners across the country who have championed universal access to healthy meals for children. While the practical impact of making the program permanent will not be felt until 2029–30, the decision secures its future beyond current funding and signals a long-term commitment to children’s well-being and food access.

For years, federal responses have centred on ad hoc affordability relief, including tax credits and grocery rebates. The current government under Prime Minister Mark Carney has continued this approach. The food insecurity crisis is downplayed. Recent measures—including the rollout of meagre Canada Disability Benefit payments, modest top-ups to the Canada Child Benefit, renewal of the voluntary Grocery Code of Conduct, and plans to expand automatic tax filing to improve access to federal benefits—address symptoms, not root causes.

Since taking office, Prime Minister Carney has emphasized economic growth, productivity, and trade diversification as central to his government’s agenda. These goals must be matched by policies that make everyday life more affordable for all Canadians. When wages don’t keep up with costs, and food and housing prices soar, GDP gains mean little to families struggling to put meals on the table.

Even farmers lose out when the communities around them can’t afford their food. Real food security depends not just on stronger markets, but on fair wages, affordable housing, and an economy that includes everyone.

Globally, conflicts and climate shocks continue to disrupt food systems, driving up prices and exposing the fragility of global supply chains. Canada is not immune. Our domestic policies must therefore do two things at once: build resilience at home through income security and sustainable food systems, and engage internationally to promote fair trade and climate adaptation in agriculture. The AFB shows how these goals can coexist.

If the goal is to ensure no Canadian goes hungry, we must look beyond emergency relief. The AFB’s Food Security chapter proposes national targets to halve food insecurity by 2030 and eliminate severe food insecurity, along with a stronger social safety net and investments in northern, Indigenous, and Black food sovereignty initiatives and community food infrastructure. These are practical, evidence-based investments in well-being and stability.

Decades of research from Statistics Canada, PROOF (University of Toronto), and other leading institutions confirm that income supports, stable employment, and robust social programs are the most effective ways to reduce food insecurity. Tackling hunger is not just a social policy issue—it’s an economic one. Food-secure people are healthier, more productive, and better able to contribute to a resilient, innovative economy. Hunger, by contrast, is costly to healthcare systems, to education outcomes, and to national cohesion.
Grounded in fairness, solidarity, and sustainability, the AFB reminds us that public policy reflects values, not just numbers. It asks: what kind of Canada do we want to build? One where markets determine who eats, or one where dignity and fairness guide our choices?

As the government prepares to release its budget next week, the AFB shows what’s possible when equity and care guide decisions. The upcoming federal budget is expected to usher in a new era of restraint and austerity. It does not have to be that way. The AFB points to a different path, one where we build instead of cut, where growth translates into shared prosperity, and where every household can afford nourishing food and a decent life.

Anthony Musiwa is Right To Food’s Senior Policy Advisor and a lead on the Alternative Federal Budget’s Food Security chapter.