An organization that focuses on hunger in Montreal is launching a petition to ask the provincial government to get involved in the fight against food inflation, the group announced at a press conference on Friday morning.
The Table de concertation sur la faim et le développement social du Montréal métropolitain is asking the government to pass legislation and hold a debate in the national assembly "to shed light on the scandal of rising food prices and the excessive profits thereby (generated)," a press release said.
The Table, which represents 50 community groups working to combat food insecurity, would like to see a 35 per cent tax levied on the excess profits made by major food companies, with the proceeds redistributed to the population on the basis of income.
The organization defines "excessive profits" as "all current-year profits accumulated on our territory exceeding the average of the last five years."
"We can't wait any longer for things to get even worse," said Jean-Paul Faniel, general manager of the Table, who also described the current situation as "dramatic."
"While some people are lining their pockets, others are emptying theirs simply to feed themselves," he added, pointing out that he is currently seeing the biggest price rise in 41 years.
The pandemic has benefited large food companies, which continue to report good financial results.
Last spring, grocer Metro gained market share against a backdrop of high food inflation. During the quarter, food inflation at Metro was close to 8 per cent.
As for Loblaw, at the end of July it posted a profit of $508 million for the quarter ended June 17, up 31.3 per cent in the same period last year.
In addition to the additional taxation on a share of these companies' profits by the government, the petition, sponsored by Parti Québécois leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, wants to "raise public awareness of the scandal of these excessive profits" and curb food inflation. The document is currently available on the national assembly website.
MORE DEMANDS, FEWER RESOURCES
Community organizations are struggling to meet the growing demand for food aid, while rising food prices are limiting their purchasing power.
"The phone is still ringing off the hook for food aid," said Fléchelle Pelletier, co-director of Maison d'entraide Saint-Paul et Émard. Because of the prices, we're having a hard time providing the basics."
The organization estimates that demand for this service has doubled in the past two years. The Maison d'entraide also offers culinary workshops, but has had to reduce their number due to inflation.
Since the supply of services is limited, people in need have to turn to several different organizations.
"What I also see are users running around to all the food banks, as food banks are now setting limits.They say: we can no longer give you a basket every month, because we have a waiting list that's too long, so it's going to be every three months," explained Flora Baldit, food security development officer at the Ville-Émard and Côte-Saint-Paul round table.
Isabelle Sauvageau, a social worker at La Maisonnée, an organization that supports people of immigrant background, is determined not to turn away any family requesting food aid, which is distributed at the organization every Wednesday. Every week, on average, 20 to 25 new families ask la Maisonnée to sign up for this service.
"Since last year, we've had an increase of 40 per cent to 45 per cent over last year," Sauvageau said.
With demand growing, she's considering a new way of doing things to avoid having to turn people away, such as offering help to a certain number of families one week, and another group of families the next.
"If we have more people, that's going to reduce the amount of food we're going to offer families," explained Sauvageau, pointing out that La Maisonnée is dependent on donations from Moisson Montréal.
This report was first published in French by The Canadian Press on Aug. 25, 2023.
