Feeding Utopia

Abstract

“Household food insecurity refers to the inadequate or insecure access to food because of financial constraints” (Tarasuk & Mitchell, 2020). More than 4 million Canadians are affected by food insecurity (McIntyre, et al., 2016; Tarasuk & Mitchell, 2020). Social factors such as income, are more significant determinants of food security and health than lifestyle choices (Mikkonen & Raphael, 2010). A Universal Basic Income (UBI) is a financial allowance granted to all working age citizens which ensures that there is a minimum income level, regardless of current or previous employment status (Forget, 2018). The available UBI research and similar programs such as the Universal Child Care Benefit (UCCB) and Old Age Security (OAS) have been shown to reduce food insecurity (McIntyre, et al., 2016, Brown & Tarasuk, 2019). This paper investigates how a Canadian Universal Basic Income could impact food insecurity by acting on the most influential determinant of health: income.