Couch Potatoes: The Reality of Food Insecurity for Montrealers

Couch Potatoes: The Reality of Food Insecurity for Montrealers examines the growing crisis of food insecurity among students in Montreal, using Concordia University’s campus as a focal point. The episode features a series of quick interviews/discussions with students who speak about the challenges of accessing affordable food while balancing school, work, and rising living costs.
Montreal’s student population is increasingly affected by the city’s deepening cost of living crisis.

Many students report relying on free meal programs, food banks, and community kitchens simply to meet their basic needs. One such initiative, the People's Potato, a volunteer-run vegan kitchen on campus, offers insight into how grassroots efforts attempt to fill gaps left by public policy. However, even these programs are not immune to the pressures of inflation and high demand.

The conversations also highlight systemic barriers to food access, particularly for international students and recent immigrants. Some point to the limited accessibility of food banks, where documentation requirements and stigmatization often deter those most in need. Others draw connections between housing instability, policing of public space, and the increasing precarity of marginalized communities in the city.

Beyond the logistics of food access, students reflect on the emotional and social toll of food insecurity. For many, communal spaces providing meals double as support systems and safe environments, often more responsive than institutional aid.

As food insecurity grows post-pandemic, students are sounding the alarm on a crisis that is no longer invisible. This episode explores how young people are navigating hunger, survival, and solidarity in a city struggling to keep pace with its most vulnerable residents.