Better Access to Groceries | B.A.G. Program

Recent news of scurvy in Northern Saskatchewan highlights the health inequity people who live in Northern communities face (1). People living in Northern Canadian communities have less fresh food available, and what is available is more expensive than in Southern communities (3). Northern communities also face barriers to transportation, medical services, social support, and more. In 2023, nearly 27% of Manitobans experienced food insecurity, meaning they worried about having enough food to eat (2). Food insecurity in Manitoba has increased since 2019 (2). In 2021, 47% of households from 92 First Nation communities surveyed experienced food insecurity. When asked, most adults in these First Nations households living on reserve wanted more traditional foods in their diet. However, there were many barriers to accessing traditional foods, such as industrial activities, climate change, cost, time, and knowledge. In Manitoba, 49% of these households worried that traditional foods would run out and getting more wouldn’t be possible (3).

Households can only experience food security when there is consistently enough acceptable, accessible food available that adequately meets physical, emotional, and spiritual needs (5). One way that the PMH Health Promotion team works to address food needs in Northern communities is the Better Access to Groceries (BAG) program. The BAG program serves Camperville, Pine Creek First Nation, and Sapotaweyak Cree Nation, communities with little access to fresh fruits and vegetables. The BAG program brings fresh fruits and vegetables into the community monthly at a reasonable cost to participants. The BAG program helps prevent health conditions like scurvy and supports health in ways such as improving nutrition, self-reliance, mental health, and overall well-being. Food insecurity is a complex problem, and while food banks and other food access services serve an immediate need for food, they do not solve the root cause of food insecurity.

Food insecurity in Canada is tightly linked to income (4). Households that rely on public income supports like social assistance or employment insurance are at a high risk for food insecurity. However, in 2022, 60% of food-insecure households reported that their main source of income was wages, salaries, or self-employment. Meaning that having a job is not enough to ensure enough income for food (4). Those renting rather than owning their home and households with children under 18 are more likely to be food insecure (4). Food insecurity in Canada is also tightly linked with colonization and privatization of land. These factors have affected Indigenous peoples’ ability to care for the land and support their communities physically, emotionally, and spiritually (3).

The PMH Health Promotion team works to support households in having adequate income through different initiatives, including:

• Promoting Get Your Benefits! – Bringing awareness to the government benefits accessible to all Manitobans
• Connecting people to the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program, where eligible Manitobans can get their income tax done for free
• Identification card clinics where individuals can apply for an ID card so they can then use the ID to apply for different social services
• Tobacco reduction/cessation initiatives
• Healthy Together Now projects involving gardening, cooking, and preserving
• Cooking and budgeting workshops

References

1. Scurvy in Canada: Food access lacking in rural areas | CTV News
2. New data on household food insecurity in 2023 – PROOF
3. First Nations households living on-reserve experience food insecurity: prevalence and predictors among ninety-two First Nations communities across Canada | Canadian Journal of Public Health
4. Who are most at risk of household food insecurity? – PROOF
5. What is Food Security? – Food Matters Manitoba