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This year marks the 10th anniversary of Vital Signs, an annual assessment of community life. For 2023, Edmonton
Community Foundation and Edmonton Social Planning Council look back at the first topic of Vital Signs — Food Security
— and where we are today.
In this report, we explore 3 topics: Hunger Happens Here, Food Security In Our Time and The Future of Food Security.
Each topic examines the impact of food inaccessibility, what it looks like in our community, and invites us to consider how
access to food helps communities thrive.
Food Security
Lack of choice and insecure food and
water sources are alarmingly close to home.
Edmonton Vital Signs is an annual checkup conducted by Edmonton Community Foundation, in partnership with
Edmonton Social Planning Council, to measure how the community is doing. Vital Topics are a quick but comprehensive
look at issues that are timely and important to Edmonton.
Unless otherwise stated, “Edmonton” refers to Census Metropolitan Area and not solely the City of Edmonton. Statistics
Canada’s definition of non-visible minorities refers to everyone who is not a visible minority and includes Caucasian
peoples and Indigenous peoples.
Hunger Happens Here
Prevalence of Food Insecurity
“Food insecurity refers to when a household has inadequate or
insecure access to food due to financial constraints” PROOF, 2022
On the rise
In 2011, 12.3% of Albertans
experienced food insecurity. In 2022,
that number jumped to 20.3%.
In 2011, 2.5% of Albertans were
severely food insecure. In 2022, that
number jumped to 6.3%.
PROOF (2022) How many Canadians are affected
by household food Insecurity?
12.3%
20.3%
2.5%
6.3%
2011 2022
2011 2022
Severe food insecurity describes
when a household misses meals,
reduces food intake and may
even go days without food.
$35,840
$55,700
$100,530
Income is Not Keeping Up with Increasing Food Prices
Average incomes in Edmonton in 2020 were:
Family of Four Lone-Parent Families Single Adults
Statistics Canada. (2022). Census families by family type and family composition including before and after-tax median income of the family (Table 11-10-0017-15). Statistics
Canada. (2022). After-tax low-income status of census families based on Census Family Low Income Measure (CFLIM-AT), by family type and family composition (Table
11-10-0020-01).
Working Canadians experience food insecurity at high rates.
In 2021, while only 13.7% of working Canadians experienced
food insecurity, they make up 51.9% of the population of
food-insecure households. PROOF (2022) How many Canadians are
affected by household food Insecurity?
2023
Condensed Report
LEGACY IN ACTION
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