Nutritious Food Basket (Motion #64-05)

Moved by Bidal, Edwards. Approved on September 22, 2005, by the Sudbury & District Board of Health.

Motion

WHEREAS the Nutritious Food Basket is a food-costing tool that can be used to measure the cost of healthy eating for individuals and groups; and

WHEREAS the average weekly food cost for a family of four has increased 8.3% from the 2004 Nutritious Food Basket pricing survey; and

WHEREAS rising food costs pose a significant hardship, including food insecurity, for low-income residents in Sudbury and Manitoulin Districts; and

WHEREAS adequate nutrition is essential for proper growth and development as well as a significant factor in preventing many chronic diseases; and

WHEREAS factors such as social assistance rates, community/urban design and social housing play an important role in the food security of Sudbury and Manitoulin District residents; and

WHEREAS the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care recommends that information about the cost of a Nutritious Food Basket be used on an ongoing basis to promote and support policy development to increase access to nutritious food;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Board of Health advocate to the Ministry of Community and Social Services and seek the support of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, to assess the adequacy of all social assistance rates from a health perspective such that the annual data from the Nutritious Food Basket Reports and Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation be considered and allowances for housing and basic needs be based on actual local costs;  and

FURTHER THAT the Board of Health direct the Medical Officer of Health to work with existing food security networks and municipalities to explore the potential for innovative food security initiatives.  Such initiatives might include for example, community grants to support neighbourhood–based food security initiatives; detailed assessment of community design challenges to food access (e.g. location of food retail outlets, pedestrian access to food retail outlets offering affordable, nutritious and culturally acceptable foods); and

FURTHER THAT the Cost of Nutritious Food Basket 2005 report be shared with appropriate community-based agencies and Mayors and Councils in Greater Sudbury and districts for their information, and with the request that they further explore local food security initiatives.

 


This item was last modified on June 12, 2015