Written by Denise Deby.

Given our need for healthy food, it’s surprising that food issues are often not on the agenda.

That’s a problem, especially because many people don’t have healthy and sustainable food:

• Here in Ottawa, eight per cent of people live in households that are food insecure—meaning unable to afford or access a sufficient, healthy diet. For low income residents, it’s worse: a third of households don’t get enough to eat.
• Across Canada, four million Canadians are food insecure. That includes 1.15 million kids. Among Inuit, First Nations and Métis people and in the North, food insecurity is five or six times higher.
• Food prices have been rising faster than incomes. Food bank use has increased by 25 per cent since 2008. Every month, around 850,000 Canadians—including working people, people on fixed incomes and children—need food banks in order to make ends meet.
• More than half…