Demand at Quebec food banks expected to continue rising, group says

The MultiCaf community food bank is seen in Montreal, on Wednesday, January 27, 2021. (Paul Chiasson / The Canadian Press)

Requests for food aid will continue to rise over the next three years, according to the Quebec food bank network (BAQ), which on Thursday unveiled its first economic study to forecast the scale of future demand in the province and gain a better understanding of the main factors contributing to it.

“The study confirms the worrying trend observed by the BAQ, namely that the number of requests for food aid to which the network responds will increase,” it said in a news release, pointing out that “BAQ member organizations on the ground have been facing increased pressure for several years now.”

In 2024, the BAQ responded to 2.9 million requests per month. According to the Aviseo study, this figure will rise to 3.22 million in 2027, an increase of more than 320,000 requests over the next three years. It forecasts an increase of 5.19 per cent in 2026 and 4.23 per cent in 2027.

To cope with this, the BAQ is calling on the government to provide “substantial funding to meet the needs of the network and help the most vulnerable.”

The network has set its requirements at $38 million in 2025-2026, $36 million in 2026-2027 and $34 million in 2027-2028.

“In recent years, government funding for food purchases has been essential to make up the shortfall and buy enough food to meet growing demand. While the results of the study show that the gap will continue to widen, exacerbating the need for food aid, the BAQ wants to obtain predictable funding rather than continually knocking on the government's door,” the organization said in the news release.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Jan. 9, 2025.