Huron Perth Public Health (HPPH) has released its yearly report, The Real Cost of Eating: Food Insecurity in Huron and Perth 2024, and the results show that grocery prices continue to rise. According to the report, a family of four now needs to spend about $309 each week—or $1,338 each month—on groceries to meet Canada’s Food Guide recommendations.
The report also reveals that families receiving Ontario Works would need to spend nearly half of their income—46 per cent—just to afford healthy food. This points to a larger issue of growing food insecurity in the region. Between 2021 and 2023, nearly 18 per cent of households in Huron Perth faced challenges in accessing enough food.
The report highlights that the best way to reduce food insecurity is by focusing on poverty reduction. HPPH encourages residents to read the full report to better understand how income is closely linked to food access, and to support policies that help create lasting change.
The full report is available at www.hpph.ca/reports under the Food Insecurity section.
Written by: K. Milhomens