Mississauga declares food insecurity an emergency [Video]

Food insecurity has now officially been declared an emergency in Mississauga.

On Wednesday, city council passed a motion recognizing that a significant number of its residents lack regular access to enough safe and nutritious food.

“This formal declaration is a monumental step in recognizing that food insecurity has gone beyond crisis levels and is not a temporary issue. Food insecurity has been affecting too many residents for far too long,” the City of Mississauga said in a news release.

• Download our app to get alerts on your device

The motion also calls for increasing the municipality’s Food Security Emergency Response Fund along with collaboration from other levels of government when it comes to food security advocacy and awareness campaigns that highlight the need for more funding for essential supports for residents.

Further, it aims to have the provincial and federal governments declare food insecurity as an emergency, improve Ontario’s social assistance programs, garner investment in affordable, supportive, and public …