Daily Food Bread summary

Introduction of speakers: Samantha Cook and Niek Nakulbiri from the Daily Bread Food Bank.
Acknowledgement of the audience's presence and humor about the transition from the previous speaker.
Prompt to keep the presentation brief to allow attendees to enjoy the open bar.

Samantha Cook: Works at the Daily Bread Food Bank, oversees food raising and fundraising.
Ian McGillivray: Procurement manager at the Daily Bread Food Bank.

Startling facts about food insecurity shared by Samantha.
Toronto's Food Bank Usage: Monthly client visits have increased fivefold since pre-COVID.
Contributing factors to this rise include:
- Rising housing costs
- Economic uncertainty
- Inflation

One of Canada's largest food banks, distributing food across Toronto.
Serves over 200 meal and food programs.
Provides nutritious food to over 300,000 clients monthly.
Historically, needed $7-8 million per year; current needs are closer to $40 million.

Significant increase in food bank visits in Canada:
- 2019-2021: Approximately 6 million visits.
- Expected climbs to almost 10 million visits in 2024.
Break down of severity of food insecurity:
- Severe food insecurity doubled from 1.3 million (2019) to 2.6 million (2024).
Ontario and Toronto trends show a year-over-year increase of 36-38%.
Graph Analysis:
- Historical data shows it took 38 years to reach 1 million visits; this doubled to 2 million in two years and then to 4 million in another two years.

Over one in ten Torontonians now use food banks.
User profiles are changing:
- More than half of food bank users live in working households.
- Over half have a post-secondary education.
- Approximately 25% have a disability.
- Nearly 25% are children.

Median living expense for food bank clients: $7.78$ per day after necessities like transit.
The monthly median income for food bank clients: $1,200$ , while the survival minimum in Toronto is $2,400$ .

Elements contributing to food insecurity include:
- Inadequate income supports
- Lack of affordable housing
- Precarious employment
Study findings:
- A $15$ increase in Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) could potentially reduce food bank visits by 273,000.
- A $30$ increase in rent could lead to an additional 375,000 visits.
- A $1$ increase in minimum wage could result in about 170,000 fewer visits.

Discussion of potential solutions and future actions.
Canada Disability Benefit through Bill C-22 passed in 2023.
The anticipated impact of government-supported housing initiatives led by PM Mark Carney.

Understanding that best before dates do not equate to food expiration.
Safe distribution guidelines established in partnership with Toronto Public Health:
- Canned goods: One year past best before date.
- Frozen products: One year past.
- Bread: One week past.

Common issues leading to food waste include:
- Mislabeling or labeling errors.
- Products being out of specification but still safe for consumption.
Examples of internal processes for handling surplus:
- Some suppliers donate surplus overages due to customer requirements for full skids.
Importance of addressing policies that restrict distressed product donations.

The act aids in ensuring the protection from liability when donating food, provided it is safe and the donor acts in good faith.
Ability to provide guaranty letters for legal assurance.

Need for partnerships with companies to promote food donation policies.
Support in internal operational policies that dictate management of distressed products.
Coordinated efforts for rapid pickup of donations (24-48 hours).

Recommendation to contact Daily Bread Food Bank for donations of:
- Consumer packaged goods.
- Food service finished goods.
Need for advocacy to change policies creating barriers to donations.

Summary of the urgent need for community involvement in reducing food waste and supporting food bank efforts.
Call for collaboration and partnership from the community to help address food insecurity and promote sustainable solutions.
Invitation for questions and further discussion post-presentation.