Food Insecurity in Australia
We invite you to take the below quiz as an introduction to the topic:
Australia is in a relatively good position in the world in terms of food security. We have sufficient quantities of high-quality food to feed our population, which is supplied by domestic production and imports. Relatively high levels of employment and income support systems mean that food is affordable and readily accessible for most Australians. However, a minority of the population (estimated at 5%) experience food insecurity, 40% of those at a critical level as illustrated below.
Who experiences food insecurity in Australia?
According to the 1995 Australian National Nutrition Survey and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework (data 2004-05) these groups experience food security at a greater rate than the general population:
Indigenous people (24%)
Single parent households (23%)
Unemployed people (23%)
Low-income earners (20%)
Young people (15%)
Other groups include:
Individuals without access to private and/or public transport
Culturally linguistic and diverse people, including refugees
Individuals who are frail, unwell or disabled
Individuals who misuse tobacco or alcohol
Why do these groups experience food insecurity?
Indigenous people
Rates of food security in Indigenous Australians are highest in remote communities. In remote communities, food supply may be limited to a ‘general store’ with inconvenient opening hours, and is often more expensive than larger supermarkets. In addition, a higher percentage of residents in remote communities earn a low income, and must spend a greater percentage of income on meals (about 35%) compared to non-Indigenous Australians. A lot of this income is spent on meals from fast food outlets that may be of poor nutritional quality. However, Indigenous Australians living in urban environments are also more susceptible to food insecurity than non-Indigenous Australians due to factors such as overcrowding, poor income, limited access to transport, and inadequate storage and cooking facilities.
Low-income families
Low-income families experience challenges not only in purchasing sufficient quantities of food, but also in choosing or being able to afford healthy food. Middle-income families who have high living expenses or experience a fall in income may also be vulnerable to food insecurity due to a reduced pool of funds to allocate to food expenditure.
People who lack access to transport
Inadequate public transport or lack of car ownership often limits people to buying food locally – as mentioned above there may be higher prices or little selection of healthy foods. This may be exacerbated in remote areas where residents become dependent on smaller stores.
Why is food security an important issue in Australia?
Food security is an important issue because it is a significant social determinant of health and thus is crucial in improving the quality of life of Australians. Food security is important from the first moments of life, with poor nutrition being associated with low birth weight and ill health during early life. Food insecurity has been shown to negatively affect academic achievement in children, and thus has the ability to affect their later life.
Food insecurity has also played a role in the current obesity epidemic among Australian school children – Australian data indicates that mild to moderate food security is associated with a greater risk of obesity. Although this may seem counterintuitive, this is due to the tendency of food insecure people to purchase cheaper food (including fast food), which is often of poor nutritional quality and is high in sugar, fats, salt and refined carbohydrates.
Nutritional considerations
The nutritional element of food security is often considered secondary to ensuring that people are eating regular meals. However, nutritional quality is becoming increasingly important amidst the current obesity epidemic. The public health recommendations for adults to eat five serves of vegetables and two fruits per day are often not accessible to low income or welfare dependent individuals. Indeed, international studies confirm that healthy food is usually more expensive than unhealthy food. Furthermore, Australian studies have shown that low-income groups are less likely to buy or eat healthy food. Because one aspect of food security is access to nutritionally sufficient foods, it is important that this is addressed. However, since the problem is so complex, reducing food insecurity will require a multifactorial approach involving governments, communities and industries.
Sources:
1. Australian Government: Department of Agriculture and Water Resources. Maintaining food security in Australia [Internet]. 2015 [cited 2016 Mar 30]. Available from: http://www.agriculture.gov.au/ag-farm-food/food/publications/national_food_plan/white-paper/5-1-maintaining-food-security-in-australia
2. Australian Institute of Family Affairs. Food insecurity in Australia: What is it, who experiences it and how can child and family services support families experiencing it? [Internet]. Canberra: Australian Institute of Family Affairs; 2011 [cited 2016 Mar 30]. Available from: https://aifs.gov.au/cfca/publications/food-insecurity-australia-what-it-who-experiences-it
3. Browne, J, Laurence, S, Thorpe, S. Acting on food insecurity in urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities: Policy and practice interventions to improve local access and supply of nutritious food [Internet]. 2009 [cited 2016 Mar 30]. Available from: www.healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au/health-risks/nutrition/other-reviews
4. Burns C. A review of the literature describing the link between poverty, food insecurity and obesity with specific reference to Australia [Internet]. Melbourne: Victorian Health Promotion Foundation. 2004 [cited 2016 Mar 30]. Available from: http://secure.secondbite.org/sites/default/files/A_review_of_the_literature_describing_the_link_between_poverty_food_insecurity_and_obesity_w.pdf
5. Economist Intelligence Unit. Global Food Security Index [Internet]. 2012 [cited 2016 Mar 30]. Available from: http://pages.eiu.com/rs/eiu2/images/EIU_DUPONT_Food_Index_July_2012.pdf
6. Kettings C, Sinclair AJ, Voevodin M. A healthy diet consistent with Australian health recommendations is too expensive for welfare-dependent families. Aust N Z J Public Health [Internet]. 2009 [cited 2016 Mar 30];33(6):566-72. Available from: Wiley Online Library
7. Radimer KL. Measurement of household food security in the USA and other industrialised countries. Public Health Nutr [Internet]. 2002 [cited 2016 Mar 28];5(6a):859-64. Available from: PubMed
8. Saethre E. Nutrition, economics and food distribution in an Australian Aboriginal community. Anthropological Forum [Internet]. 2005 [cited 2016 Mar 30];15(2):151-169. Available from: EBSCOhost
