Federal government needs a Social Innovation Strategy for long-lasting solutions
The numbers are devastating. Almost one in seven Canadians (14.6 per cent) reported they live in a household where they’ve experienced food insecurity over the past 30 days, according to the Statistics Canada survey conducted May 4-May 10, 2020, during the first wave of the pandemic. Those living in households with children were more likely to be worried about food running out before there was money to buy more.
Affordable and easy access to healthy food is not a new challenge for Canada. It only took a global pandemic to shine a spotlight on the millions of Canadians who lack access to quality, affordable food.
In response, the federal government committed to developing a new Social Innovation and Social Finance Strategy, a $50-million Investment Readiness Program and $755-million Social Finance Fund. This was welcome news. However, today, the Social Finance Fund has yet to be rolled out, and after a very successful two-year pilot, the Investment Readiness Program is set to expire this month. There has been little action on the remaining recommendations.
Why is social innovation so critical for addressing food insecurity?
Social innovation is about a return to community.
Take, for example, Quebec’s La Cantine pour tous (Canteen for Everybody), the first Quebec network to bring together community organizations and other partners to share often underutilized food production and distribution equipment, catering expertise and online ordering. Licensed caterers prepare food in school kitchens and parents can order and pay for meals online. In 2020, the program mobilized in response to COVID-19 with support from the Quebec government. Member organizations distributed some 1,500 meals every day for the homeless in emergency shelters established by the City of Montreal.
In Toronto, advocates for food sovereignty — the right of people to healthy and culturally appropriate food — are advocating for a Black food ecosystem. They want community members to be empowered with the tools, resources and financing to farm and distribute food. It will take bold leadership and bold ideas to put regulatory policies in place to protect agricultural land and make it more affordable for these communities. Social finance funding will be critical in order to create a pool of capital to make land acquisition more affordable, removing inequities and levelling the playing field.
The federal government’s last full budget (2019) made promises on the Social Finance Fund that need to be kept. The upcoming budget provides an opportunity to, once again, prioritize Social Innovation and Social Finance.
Now, more than ever, Canada needs a social innovation strategy so that communities, through the mobilization and creativity of citizens and social purpose organizations, can put their innovative solutions to work.
Photo courtesy of Pixabay
