Non-profit food markets may be one solution to the rising cost of healthy food.
A public forum explored the issue of families struggling to put healthy food on the table in the wake of an Ottawa Public Health survey.
The survey revealed how expensive it was for people living in Ottawa to maintain a healthy diet while meeting other personal expenses. It showed that the price of some basic healthy foods had increased significantly over the last year.
Jamie Hurst, a registered dietician at Ottawa Public Health, said the price of grapes, for example, has increased 35 per cent, tomatoes 78 per cent and ground beef 25 per cent in just one year. This raises concerns that there is a serious issue regarding food security in the city.
“We are going to try to improve access to healthy food,” says Hurst.
To combat the problem, some organizations suggested new ways to provide healthy food for less money.
Kaitrin Doll, who works for the local charity Ottawa Poverty and Hunger, explained the concept of the Good Food Market, which buys bulk food at wholesale prices for resale.
The initiative started in 2011 in partnership with the Ottawa Good Food Box along with other local groups such as Just Food.
“Good Food Market are high- quality affordable fruits and vegetables, we are non-profit markets,” she says.
She explained that the Good Food Market brings healthy food directly to consumers and are a cheap alternative to farmers markets.
“Farmers' markets are not a viable option because they are not able to make enough money and so they are not necessarily the most affordable option,” says Doll. “The unique part of the initiative is that we were able to bring not only fruits and vegetables to the community but also very needed protein.”
This year, eight markets were held in four different locations in Ottawa including two in Centretown.
Organizers hope to increase the number of markets and locations in 2013.
The Ottawa Food Bank also outlined its plans to promote access to healthy food.
“The number of people in need to access the Ottawa Food Bank has increased 2.2 per cent between 2011 and 2012,” said Michael Howard, agency relation manager of the Ottawa Food Bank.
Howard said as a result of the increase demand, the food bank is expanding its warehouse which will result in more space for offices, volunteers and storage. The expansion is expected to be completed by next January.
The food bank is also providing more fresh food thanks to its community harvest program.
The program is a provincial initiative that allows food banks to harvest their own crops for distribution.