Essay On Food Banks

The reason for the increase of individuals using food banks are in relations to the drastic increase in food prices and the cost of transporting/shipping the food as well. When food suddenly costs more, those who can least afford it get hit hardest. Sadly foods that have little nutritional value are the least expensive so people on limited incomes will purchase more unhealthy foods than fresh fruits, vegetables and meat. On average, Canadians spend less than ten percent of their income on food. However, people living in poverty spend 50 percent and the poorest as much as 75 percent of their income on food. When prices mushroom, these people must do without, and it is women who most frequently eat last and least. The sudden rise in food prices …show more content…
A full 40 percent of the corn crop in the United States, and a similar percentage in Canada, now end up in cars instead of stomachs. Also, fewer crops means higher prices to recoup their costs and climate scientists predict the problem is only going to get worse. Some experts feel that the financial crisis that swept the world beginning in 2008 also had an impact on food prices. Investing in the rising price of food seemed to make it a safe bet. Since the rises of food bank usage started in 2008 and has been escalating ever since. Governments’ response to rising food prices is more than 30 food-exporting countries banned exports in 2008, fearing food shortages at home and the political instability that might follow. Such bans reduce supply to the world market and drive the price for importing countries even higher. Russia did this recently when wheat prices rose sharply in 2010 (http://www.oxfam.ca/grow/learn/why_food_prices_are_rising). This has lead to many families and individuals not generating enough income to afford the raised prices on food. However, they are some possible solutions to this