Mr. Chair, that safety net now has federal support. The $1-billion five-year commitment was first made in September 2021 and delivered in budget 2024 with the creation of the national school food program, but between the pledge and the first funded school, grocery prices rose by about 21%.
Those prices are continuing to rise. Since September 2021, the price of food purchased in stores has risen by about 28%.
In practical terms, the $1-billion pledge in 2021 now buys about 783 million dollars' worth of food—only 78¢ on the dollar. The commitment is unchanged, but its purchasing power has fallen.
Today, when divided among all the students in the country, the $200 million per year in federal funding amounts to $0.22 per child per day.
That said, funding for the national school food program helps the provinces and territories to expand access to their school food programs, but there is still work to be done. To build on this momentum, while responding to rising costs and implementation challenges, we propose four recommendations for budget 2027.
One, recognize the national school food program as a budget priority and match the $400 million invested by provinces, territories and municipalities.
Two, make the school food Infrastructure fund permanent and expand it. The 40 projects the club supported increased the number of students reached by 47%.
Three, invest in Canadian-grown food for school food programs.
Four, take a whole-of-government approach and provide the national vision, accountability and coordination needed to make school food a core pillar of children's health and well-being in Canada.
In conclusion, the AppEco cost-benefit analysis shows that every dollar invested returns nearly two dollars to society, starting with anticipated savings of over $1,000 per year for the average Canadian family—the very family now turning to food banks.
The national program has now been made permanent. The next phase will be crucial in enabling both the program and children to reach their full potential.
Thank you.