The evidence is in: accountability needs to be injected into the policy-making process for household food insecurity reduction.

Abstract

As the problem of household food insecurity perseveres, effective evidence-informed responses are badly needed. The systematic reviews of evidence compiled by the Public Health Agency of Canada provide an important foundation for such action, but they also indicate the need for accountability, so that precious public funds do not continue to be spent on initiatives with no evidence of impact. We need targets for food insecurity reduction and some accountability for policy interventions that come with significant public investments. Household food insecurity rates and the related adverse consequences are only going to get worse unless we address the inadequate, insecure incomes that are the primary driver of this population health problem.