Food security

Overview

As the price of groceries continues to be a challenge for many, Alberta’s government is ensuring food banks and community-based organizations have the resources to help Albertans.

What we are doing

Through Budget 2026, Alberta’s government maintains $5 million in food security funding to help support Albertans in need. Over the last 4 years, Alberta’s government has provided over $24 million to address food insecurity for Albertans.

In 2025-26, $4 million was distributed to Food Banks Alberta and community-based organizations to continue to augment capacity within Alberta’s network of food banks and support underserved communities.

• $2 million was provided to Food Banks Alberta. This funding helped strategically address food demands across the province by strengthening food distribution, infrastructure and emergency preparedness for Food Banks Alberta’s 112-member food banks.
• $500,000 was provided to community-based organizations that reach underserved Albertans to compliment the work of Food Banks Alberta’s 112-member food banks.
• $1.5 million was provided to Healthy Aging Alberta to fund organizations to provide food related non-medical supports for older adults 55+.

 In 2024-25, $2.2 million was distributed to Food Banks Alberta to build capacity within Alberta’s network of food banks.

• This funding helped establish a program to support 112-member food banks during emergency situations, created funding streams to assist food banks to purchase equipment and built capacity to provide culturally appropriate food at a local level.

In 2023-24, $7.8 million was distributed through the Family and Community Support Services Association of Alberta (FCSSAA):

• $2.8 million was distributed to established food banks that received a Food Bank Grant in 2022-23, including funding to FCSSAA to administer the grants
• $5 million was provided to post-secondary food banks and homeless shelters through Food Security Grants

In 2022-23, $10 million funded food security:

• $2.8 million was provided to established food banks in December 2022 to purchase and transport food and help pay for front line staff through the Food Bank Grant
• $2.9 million was provided to eligible civil society organizations through the Food Security Grant
• $3.4 million was provided to match donations received by food banks and related civil society organizations from December 1 to December 31, 2022 through the Donation Matching Grant
• Food Banks Alberta received $510,000 to help strengthen Alberta’s network of food banks

Help is available

To find a food bank or charity in your area, call or visit 211 Alberta.