Even reducing poverty will not mean the end of food banks. There are always poor, very vulnerable, and sick people dealing with mental health problems or addictions who will need food banks.
I mentioned the program to collect unsold products, which we also belong to. It is an outstanding program because we have agreements right across the province with the major food chains such as Loblaws, Metro, and Sobeys, which provide a tremendous supply by recovering unsold products.
As to reducing food waste, there is the whole issue of best before dates. Best before dates are under federal jurisdiction, so it is a question of labelling. In a way, they contribute to food waste because we throw out a lot of products that are still good. Right now, this helps food banks because we recover a lot of products as a result of that waste. Nevertheless, as I said earlier, there are gaps in the food we offer. That is very important to remember.
A study by the Banques alimentaires du Québec showed that 12% to 15% of food users' food was from those food banks. That is a significant contribution; it is a lot. So we have to provide a food basket that is healthy and nutritious. It is hard for us to offer high-quality baskets because, as I said, we are constantly running out of milk, we have no eggs—we have to buy them—and we never have fresh fruit, especially in the Outaouais region, which is not agricultural.
No doubt there are tax incentives that could be established to encourage farmers to donate food. With regard to food waste, In France, Belgium, and Italy, there are measures requiring supermarkets to donate their unsold food products to food banks. I think similar measures are starting to be introduced here, but we have to keep pushing.