Monitoring food affordability in Hamilton

Hamilton Public Health uses the Ontario Nutritious Food Basket (ONFB) to survey food prices in a sample of grocery stores across the city. The results of the ONFB survey are used to determine if food is affordable for Hamiltonians.

The cost of the ONFB is calculated based on the average lowest cost of 61 food items in stores surveyed. The items on the survey are based on Canada’s Food Guide (vegetables and fruit, whole grain foods and protein foods) and reflect Canadian eating and purchasing patterns.

The ONFB does not include certain types of food and other items such as:

Monitoring food affordability in Hamilton Report

Every year in May, Public Health Services collects prices of a list of food items from a sample of grocery stores across the city. The average cost of the items, called the Ontario Nutritious Food Basket, is used to estimate the cost of eating according to national nutrition guidelines. The cost of the food basket and the average cost of rental housing in Hamilton are compared to different household incomes to determine whether food is affordable for Hamiltonians.

This report presents food costs in Hamilton in 2024 and an analysis of its affordability. The results show that the food basket is likely not affordable for many Hamiltonians, especially for those receiving social assistance and with low-paying jobs. The problem of household food insecurity, not having enough money to buy food, increased to one in four Hamilton households in 2023.

Download the Monitoring food affordability in Hamilton Report(PDF, 734.98 KB)

Hamiltonians living with food insecurity may:

Who experiences food insecurity?

• In 2021, just over half (51.9%) of Canadians living in the 10 provinces living with food insecurity reported employment as their main source of income. Low-waged jobs and inconsistent work leave too many workers without enough income to buy food.
• Among Ontarians who receive social assistance, approximately two-thirds (67.2%) reported food insecurity in 2021. The high rates of food insecurity among households receiving social assistance in Ontario suggest that it fails to meet recipients’ basic needs.
• Reference: Tarasuk V, Li T, Fafard St-Germain AA. (2022) Household food insecurity in Canada, 2021. Toronto: Research to identify policy options to reduce food insecurity (PROOF). Retrieved from https://proof.utoronto.ca/.

The negative impacts of food insecurity

• Food insecurity is a serious public health problem because individuals’ health and well-being are closely linked to household food insecurity.
• People living in food insecure households are much more likely than others to be diagnosed with mental health disorders, chronic diseases (such as high blood pressure and diabetes) and infections. People who are food insecure are less able to manage chronic conditions and are more likely to experience poor outcomes including hospitalization or premature death. Because of its harmful effects on health, household food insecurity causes a large burden on the health care system.
• Reference: Food Insecurity Policy Research (PROOF). What are the implications of food insecurity for health and health care? https://proof.utoronto.ca/food-insecurity/what-are-the-implications-of-food-insecurity-for-health-and-health-care/

Taking action on food insecurity

Food insecurity is the result of not having enough money to buy food.

Food programs such as food banks, community fridges and community gardens may provide short-term relief for people experiencing food insecurity. Some of these programs also offer other supports and services. For information on programs and services in Hamilton, please refer to the Hamilton Food Access Guide.

Long-term solutions are needed to address the root cause of food insecurity, which is lack of money to buy enough food. Policies, tax benefits, and programs that help people afford the costs of living are needed. These include:

• Income support programs such as Ontario Works, Ontario Disability Support Program, Employment Insurance , Guaranteed Annual Income System for seniors that provide adequate benefits and are indexed to inflation
• Jobs that pay living wages
• A basic income guarantee
• Accessing government benefits such as the Canada Child Benefit, Ontario Trillium Benefit, GST/HST tax benefit, and Canada Worker Benefit through free income tax filing support