The B.C. government is making a multi-million dollar investment in food security, targeting remote communities and those impacted by 2021’s wildfires and floods.
It announced the $2.85-million injection Monday (May 30), with funds divvied between Food Banks BC and United Way British Columbia.
Of the $955,000 going to Food Banks BC, $825,000 will be used to provide rapid access to food for people impacted by emergency events. This could include flying in food or finding other alternative transportation corridors when roads are washed out, flooded or ravaged by fire.
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The remaining $130,000 will go to researching the unique food security challenges of northern communities, especially Indigenous ones, which often bear the worst of supply-chain disruptions and price increases.
Another $1.4 million is headed to United Way B.C. The organization will use $1 million to expand the number of its regional community food hubs from 16 to 20, with new hubs in the District of Mount Waddington, Cawston (Lower Similkameen Band), Hastings-Sunrise and Surrey.
It will put the other $400,000 into developing an app that allows communities to request food as they need it. It will be piloted in Surrey, Chilliwack and North Okanagan this year.
READ ALSO: $228M fund coming for B.C. farmers, ranchers impacted by November floods
