The report (which surveyed 122 people) found that 27% of respondents had run out of food in the past 12 months, and didn’t have the funds needed to buy more. 34% were worried they would run out of food before having money to buy more.
The findings match a trend in the 2020 Victorian Population Health Survey which found that 6.6% of people in Warrnambool City Council reported that they ran out of money to buy food in the last 12 months – an increase from 4.3% in 2014.
The report also looked at food availability, mapping fresh produce stores across the WCC region, declaring West Warrnambool a ‘food desert’ (an area that has limited access to affordable and nutritious food within a convenient traveling distance). West Warrnambool also experiences some of the highest levels of disadvantage in the local government area.
The report shows that the reasons why people face food insecurity are complex and numerous, but include:
“We consistently heard that the rising cost of living and low income are the biggest reasons that people can’t eat the foods they want” says South West Healthcare Health Promotion Officer and report author, Sadha Spence.
The South West Healthcare Health Promotion Team also conducted interviews with local community services such as family services, emergency relief services and neighbourhood houses, which provide food assistance and welfare to members of the community, with one service provider stating “single parent families seem to be the ones doing the toughest or lone people, (they) seem to be really struggling”.
Results indicated that the three main coping strategies used by those experiencing food insecurity were:
Food insecurity impacts on the physical, mental and social health of both adults and children. In adults, food insecurity has been shown to be associated with an increased risk of malnutrition, mental health problems, diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, being in fair or poor health and poor sleep. In children, food insecurity has been shown to be associated with an increased risk of some birth defects, anaemia, malnutrition, cognitive problems, aggression and anxiety, behavioural problems, depression, suicidal ideation and asthma. Importantly, food insecurity impacts on a person’s capacity to participate fully in society and to experience optimal health and wellbeing.
The cost to the community is also significant, with many residents having to rely on emergency food relief to provide food for themselves and their family.. Warrnambool and District Foodshare has seen an unprecedented increase in demand for emergency food relief with 54,967 people in 2022 receiving support across the region, up from 22,000 in 2021.
“This is a really important issue, we know that consuming a healthy diet is a protective factor in preventing chronic disease and poor dietary intake is one of the biggest causes of ill health in Australia.” says Caitlyn Hoggan, Healthy Communities Coordinator at South West Healthcare.
The South West Healthcare Health Promotion team hopes the findings from the report will bring the community together to explore ways to make food more affordable and accessible for those most in need, and raise awareness about the factors that influence what we eat. “People often think that what we eat is simply a choice, but our report shows that what we are able to eat is hugely impacted by how much money we earn, our upbringing, where we live and whether or not we can access things like a car” says Sadha.
Whilst the issues raised in the report are complex, the team will be advocating for action locally to support the local community and to make the food system fairer for everyone. Findings from the report will be shared with local council, community services and food organisations. “We want to get food on the agenda, how can our community support each other to connect with, to grow and to eat more delicious healthy food?” says Sadha Spence.
“Warrnambool has a really great foundation to build on to help address the issue of food insecurity – there is no shortage of community gardens, local producers and food-related charities that are doing great work. What doesn’t exist however is a coordinated strategy to ensure that each of these initiatives are able to reach their potential or work together to help a growing need in the community – a strategy that gives each of these groups increased support and promotion” says Caitlyn Hoggan.
“Now that we better understand the community’s needs it would be amazing to see the community rally together to plan more equitable food system strategies for our region, like those that exist in Ballarat and Geelong, so that everyone can enjoy delicious healthy food” says Sadha Spence.
The South West Healthcare Health Promotion team also wants to hear from any passionate community members who love food and want to support their communities to become more food secure. To get in contact send the team an email via healthpromotion@swh.net.au.
If you require assistance, please visit the below resources for more information on where you can get support across the region.
Regional Support Services – Warrnambool City Council