Elaine Power

Associate Professor School of Kinesiology & Health Studies, Queen's University

  • Kingston ON

Teaches social determinants of health. Researches food insecurity. Advocates for basic income. Dreams of the day when food banks can close.

Contact

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Biography

Elaine Power has been teaching HLTH 101, The Social Determinants of Health, to hundreds of undergraduate students each year. Students learn that income, income inequality, education, racism, colonialism, and political decisions are more important determinants of health than diet, exercise and other lifestyle factors.

Her research on food insecurity—inadequate or insecure access to food because of financial constraints—and its impacts on health, have led her to advocate for an unconditional basic income that is adequate to meet basic human needs.

Dr. Power uses qualitative research methods and critical social theory to investigate food practices, especially in relation to income and social class. She currently holds a research grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council to explore the potentials and limitations of community food programs, such as community gardens, hot meal programs, and food banks, to reduce food insecurity.

Dr. Power is a founding member of the Canadian Association for Food Studies, and co-founder of the Kingston Action Group for a Basic Income Guarantee.

Areas of Expertise

Food Insecurity
food banks
basic income
Social Determinants of Health
hunger in Canada
experiences of poverty
Guaranteed Annual Income
family food practices
feeding the family
gender & food
income & food
poverty & food
poverty & health

Education

University of Toronto

Ph.D.

Public Health Sciences

2001

University of Guelph

M.Sc.

Applied Human Nutrition

1995

University of Ottawa

B.Sc.

Biochemistry-Nutrition

1987

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Media Appearances

It's time to close Canada's food banks

The Globe and Mail  print

2011-07-25

An argument for why food banks have inadvertently become a problem in ending hunger in Canada.

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Basic income could end food insecurity

Upstream  online

2016-03-29

As part of a progressive package of social supports including programs like pharmacare and affordable housing, an effective basic income guarantee really could eliminate poverty. In doing so it would also eliminate food insecurity and a host of other social determinants of stress, poor health, suffering and premature death. Some of us believe there is a strong moral and ethical imperative for us to look after each other. There is also a strong economic case. We know that for every dollar we invest in reducing poverty, eventually we will save about two dollars — in health care, education and the justice system.

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Should Ontario consider a Basic Income Guarantee?

CBC Radio 1, Up North with Jason Turnbull  radio

2017-02-27

Ontario is looking to get rid of welfare payments and instead give people a basic income. We spoke with Elaine Power, an associate professor at Queen's University, who is speaking at a public forum about the benefits of basic income in Thunder Bay.

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Event Appearances

Why food charity is not enough

Voices for Change Halton  Oakville, ON

2017-05-26

Food insecurity and the promise of a Basic Income Guarantee

Durham Local Food Solutions Symposium  Whitby, ON

2017-04-06

"Come and live in my shoes": Food access and social isolation for people living in poverty in Gananoque and Leeds & The Thousand Islands

Conversations about Food  Gananoque, ON

2017-04-05

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Research Grants

How can Canadian municipalities ensure the right to food?

Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council

STUDY OBJECTIVES
Almost 4 million Canadians cannot afford to buy the food they need. In an effort to alleviate this burden, municipal-level food programs (MLFPs) that aim to improve access to food have emerged across the country. The proposed study will critically evaluate how municipalities across Canada promote the right to food aims by addressing the following six objectives:
1. capture the successes and challenges encountered by municipal organizations delivering food- based programs;
2. describe the firsthand experiences of, and benefits accrued by, MLFP program participants;
3. identify barriers to program participation for non-users;
4. examine the costs of delivering MLFPs;
5. investigate the municipal and provincial conditions and policies that facilitate success for MLFPs to enhance the right to food; and
6. develop evidence-based guidelines for MLFPs and recommendations for municipal and provincial governments to promote the right to food at the municipal level in Canada.

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Articles

Prevalence, Severity and Impact of Household Food Insecurity: A Serious Public Health Issue. Background Paper

Dietitians of Canada

2016-08-29

A extensive review of the literature concerning individual and household food insecurity in Canada.

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Conceptualizing food security for Aboriginal people in Canada

Canadian Journal of Public Health

2008-03-03

An overview of the issues related to food insecurity for Aboriginal Peoples, including poverty and the effects of global climate change and environmental pollution on traditional food systems.

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Should Canadian health promoters support a food stamp-style program to address food insecurity?

Health Promotion International

2015-03-02

Food insecurity is an urgent public health problem in Canada, affecting 4 million Canadians in 2012, including 1.15 million children, and associated with significant health concerns. With little political will to address this significant policy issue, it has been suggested that perhaps it is time for Canada to try a food stamp-style program. Such a program could reduce rates of food insecurity and improve the nutritional health of low-income Canadians. In this article, we explore the history of the US food stamp program; the key impetus of which was to support farmers and agricultural interests, not to look after the needs of people living in poverty. Though the US program has moved away from its roots, its history has had a lasting legacy, cementing an understanding of the problem as one of lack of food, not lack of income. While the contemporary food stamp program, now called Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), reduces rates of poverty and food insecurity, food insecurity rates in the USA are significantly higher than those in Canada, suggesting a food stamp-style program per se will not eliminate the problem of food insecurity. Moreover, a food stamp-style program is inherently paternalistic and would create harm by reducing the autonomy of participants and generating stigma, which in itself has adverse health effects. Consequently, it is ethically problematic for health promoters to advocate for such a program, even if it could improve diet quality.

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