Food Insecurity

With the cost of living steadily rising in Australia, the daily challenge of consuming nutritious foods is getting harder. For many, the increased cost for essentials such as rent, mortgage, energy bills and petrol, can result in food becoming a discretionary expense. This means that many people may not have enough money to be able to afford adequate and nutritious food, resulting in an insecure and inadequate food supply.

What is food insecurity?

Food security means that everyone in our society has access to enough safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences, and to give them the energy for an active and healthy life (Food and Agricultural Organization, 2012).

However, not everyone can afford or access enough healthy food. Food Insecurity exists whenever nutritionally adequate and safe foods are not easily available, or people face barriers to accessing healthy foods (Food and Agricultural Organization, 2012)

Examples of household food insecurity:

• Running out of food before you have enough money to buy more
• Not having enough money left after paying for living costs to afford enough healthy food
• Relying on low-cost, packaged foods to avoid going hungry
• Cutting down on fresh produce to avoid hunger
• Using emergency food relief
• Not having access to transport to buy fresh produce or healthy foods
• Not being able to get to outlets selling healthy foods because of a disability or mobility issues.
• Not being able to find foods that are familiar or culturally appropriate where you live.

Food insecurity and health

Healthy eating has far-reaching impacts on health and wellbeing and is a vital preventative measure for many chronic diseases.

Experiencing food insecurity impacts on the physical, mental and social health of both adults and children. Food insecurity has been shown to be associated with the following;

Adults:

• Increased risk of malnutrition
• Mental health problems
• Diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipidaemia
• Being in fair or poor health and poor sleep

Children:

• Increased risk of some birth defects
• Anaemia and malnutrition
• Cognitive problems, anxiety and depression
• Behavioural problems
• Being hospitalised
• Asthma

(Gundersen & Seligman, 2017)

Importantly, food insecurity impacts on a person’s capacity to participate fully in society and to experience optimal health and wellbeing, contributing to intergenerational cycles of poor health outcomes and inequities.

Local Food Insecurity Investigation

The South West Healthcare Health Promotion team have investigated the experience of food insecurity in both the Warrnambool and Corangamite Local Government area.

The findings from the research investigation show residents in both the Warrnambool and Corangamite community are facing significant barriers when it comes to accessing affordable food. These barriers are causing residents to implement a range of coping strategies or to rely on emergency food relief.

The cost of food, and not having enough money were the key barriers to accessing food in both Corangamite and Warrnambool.

In Warrnambool, 27% of survey respondents had run out of food in the past 12 months and didn’t have enough money to buy more, and 34% had worried they would run out of food before having money to buy more.

The cost of food in Corangamite is a significant barrier with the research findings showing the cost of food in Corangamite is on average 14% more expensive compared to the larger regional centre of Warrnambool.

To find out more about the challenges accessing food in Warrnambool and Corangamite, and strategies to help address food insecurity, you can read our Food Insecurity investigative reports.