Mr. Speaker, today is World Food Day, a day worth celebrating, but also a day for drawing attention to and addressing food security challenges in Canada and around the world. Does the House know that 800 million people worldwide go hungry and that that number has gone up by 38 million since last year? That is why the United Nations launched the Zero Hunger Challenge.
The goal is to mobilize governments, businesses, and civil society to eliminate hunger. This challenge is important because the right to food is a basic right. Canada, too, has hunger issues. Food insecurity is getting worse, especially in the north and in indigenous communities.
The government must support initiatives to reduce inequality, poverty, and food insecurity in Canada and around the world. Every month, 850,000 Canadians must rely on food banks. That is unacceptable. Let us work together to end hunger.