Food Insecurity In Australia

Running head: FOOD INSECURITY IN AUSTRALIA 1

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Food insecurity in Australia 2

INTRODUCTION

Food insecurity especially in the developed nations is a major problem that the

government refuses to acknowledge which leads to the citizens being left at the mercies of food

donors while others struggles in silence. Food insecurity affects nearly 40% of the Australian

population. In Australia, the government does not have a particular food policy as food in the

nation I considered as a business and the government has no right to interfere with the policies of

the food business. This has greatly contributed to the many cases of hunger and food insecurity

in the nation. Food insecurity has been known to affect the health of people more than the

nutritional aspect of food. Hunger has a major impact on the health as well as the psychological

development of children (Rosier, 2011). The growth as well as the development of a child is

mainly affected by their diet as well as the availability of food and hence children who live in

food insecure families have delayed growth and development physically as well as the brains.

The fact that the government has failed to recognize the fact that the country has food insecurity

has made the problem worse as the victims can only rely on non-government organization as

well as food donors (Burns, 2004) .

FOOD HUNGER IN AUSTRALIA

Food insecurity is a hidden crisis in Australia which has led to many welfare groups

getting worried over the increased number of the people who are unable to afford enough food

for themselves as well as for their families including working class individuals. The demand for

food from the Foodbank in the country has increased by 8% over the past 5 years which

represents a negative consequence of the nation’s economic growth (Crawford, etc. 2014). The

nation has seen an improvement in the food processing sector which has decreased the amount

Food insecurity in Australia 3

of excess food which was previously given to those in need has increased the number of people

in hunger crisis in the nation (Booth, & Whelan, 2014). Also there is a rise in the cost of living in

the country which has also contributed to the hunger crisis.

The demand for relief food in Australia is rising which has been reported by many

charity organizations. There is also a common misconception that only the homeless experience

hunger crisis which is not the case. Instead the data collected recipients of relief food are

individuals and families who generally have low incomes or are unemployed. In Australia,

hunger is diverse as it affects children, male, females, single people, students, families,

employed, unemployed as well as the retired people. However, the high risk sub- groups of

people likely to suffer from hunger crisis includes refugees, people with disabilities, as well as

indigenous Australians (Crawford, etc. 2014). Some of the people who suffer from hunger

include the indigenous people who make 24%, unemployed 23%, single household 23%, low

income earners 20%, rental households 20% and young people also make 20% of the people that

experience hunger in Australia (Crawford, etc. 2014). Some of the common reasons why people

in Australia find themselves seeking relief food include lack of funds to pay rent, as well as

unexpected bills such as medical bills.

FINDINGS OF THE REVIEW

Hunger is a major problem that is faced by many nations all over the world. Australia

which is a developed nation is one of the nations that is facing hunger issues and has led to a lot

of interventions to bring food relief especially by the non -profit organizations such as foodbank.

Foodbank has released a report stating how it has offered a lot of food relief in Australia and how

it is a common problem which the nation has ignored over a period of time. In the report, it is

Food insecurity in Australia 4

indicated that about 15% of the Australians experience food insecurity as food in many cases is

discarded before even it reaches the market (Ramsey, Giskes, Turrell, & Gallegos, 2012). The

survey went further to reveal that in the past 12 months 3.6 million Australians have experienced

food insecurity. The report which was compiled by the nation’s largest food relief organization

with the help of deloitte access economics also states that those who lack access to vital food has

increased with 28% and with the increase in the number, the charity groups cannot cope with the

number and hence many people face hunger crisis (Ramsey, Giskes, Turrell, & Gallegos, 2012).

Food security is a condition where all people at all times have the access to safe,

nutritious and sufficient food physically and economically. The food must meet their dietary

preferences in order for them to have an active and healthy life throughout (Rosier, 2011).

According to human expectation, the developed nations should not suffer from food insecurity as

they have the economic growth and the government has enough funds to take care of the people

that are not economically empowered. However, this is not the case with Australia as the

government has neglected the people with hunger problem and instead the non- profit

organizations have taken up the burden of ensuring they have safe and healthy food (Foley,

Ward, Carter, Coveney, Tsourtos, & Taylor, 2010).

In Australia, food is a commodity instead of a right as in many nations which are due to

the nation neoliberal political economy. Where food is regarded as a commodity rather than a

human right, then the market has control over food, the prices as well as it accessibility. Due to

this fact, people who are not economically empowered in the nation always find themselves

having an increased distance with nutritious food and since the government cannot intervene on

the same, the non-profit organizations takes up the burden of feeding the hungry (Booth, &

Smith, 2001). The Australian system is structured in a manner of high social level stratification

Food insecurity in Australia 5

and hence although everyone has rights the poor people lack strong influence unless they form

strong collectives such as community alliances and trade unions.

From the data collected, it has been concluded that the major policy that has contributed

to the crisis of food in the nation is the policy which state that food in the nation is a commodity

and not a human need and the government has a non-interference policy with the market. Also

the rise in the cost of living in the nation with reduced payrolls has also played a major role in

the rise of the hunger crisis (Booth, & Smith, 2001). Some of the common reasons why people

find themselves seeking relief food is lack of funds to pay their utility bills as for many working

families, having nutritious food has become a luxury which they cannot afford which in the real

sense it is supposed to be a life necessity. It has been reported that regardless of the growth and

performance of the nation’s economy, food insecurity is a significant issue that is facing a major

portion of Australians citizens (Ramsey, Giskes, Turrell, & Gallegos, 2012).

According to the report provided by the food bank in Australia, the data shows that 22%

of Australian children under the age of 15 years live in households that have run out of food in

some stages in life which is attributed to the low income from families as well as the economic

status of the families. The data continuous to show that one of the five kids in Australia go to

school without breakfast at least once a week while one out of ten go a whole day at least once a

week without eating anything at all. The most vulnerable people in the country to the hunger are

the young children who are the future of the country. The report states that 11% go to bed

without eating dinner at least once a week (Ramsey, Giskes, Turrell, & Gallegos, 2011). To

ensure that the children do not go hungry, it was reported that 29% of parents facing food stress

usually go without food so that their kids can eat. The rise in hunger has been contributed by the

rise in the cost of living as many parents are struggling to feed their children. Many children do

Food insecurity in Australia 6

not have sufficient food supply as well as access to nutritious food (Ramsey, Giskes, Turrell, &

Gallegos, 2011). Food insecurity often leads to hunger. Research has proven that food insecurity

and hunger can harm the heath and the education of a child. However, the researcher stated that

this can be prevented effective programs such as national school lunch program as well as the

government intervention which will lower the cost of living for families and hence they will be

able to afford food. These food programs will provide the children with food which will not only

boost their health but also their concentration level in school (Phongsavan, Chey, Bauman,

Brooks, & Silove, 2006).

Social and psychological effects of food insecurity

Lower food security as well as hunger can contribute to toxic stress which is the kind of

stress that cannot be managed by the body. Food insecurity as well as hunger leads to

malnutrition especially in young children. this are health problems which are caused by

nutritional deficient diets every human being also have a limited cognitive capacity and people

tend to use their limited mental reserves on resource that they lack where they tend to overthink

situations Nolan,( Rikard-Bell, Mohsin, & Williams, 2006) . This is what happens to hungry

children where they spend most of their time thinking on what they lack and so they focus on

food and neglect other areas in life such as school. Additionally, food insecurity is always

stigmatized through media services and public discourse as families always work to keep their

food issues hidden (Crawford, etc. 2014).

Studies have shown that food insufficiency is always associated food health conditions as

the people can barely afford a meal leave alone a balanced diet. Poor health conditions include

headaches, stomachaches as well as cold and fevers. The body development as well as mental

Food insecurity in Australia 7

growth is always interfered with malnutrition as well as the diet composition. Severe hunger

often leads to chronic diseases especially in young children. Hunger related toxic stress can

negatively affect brain development, the learning process, information processing as well As

academic achievement in children. With malnutrition, the immune system of a child is also

affected as their resistance to diseases is always affected. A child may also develop stunned

intellectual capacity (Ramsey, Giskes, Turrell, & Gallegos, 2012). Severe hunger in children also

leads to anxiety as well as depression. Research shows that families that lack sufficient food

irrespective of their net income as well as living standards is associated with depressive disorders

as well as many cases of suicide when it comes to young adults. Children may feel ashamed and

isolated by the stigma associated with their lack of food. When children go to school without

money to buy lunch or with food that are of less quality as well as quantity, children tend to

isolate them as they are regarded as less fitting. This affects the esteem of the victim children and

they tend to hate school of if they go they isolate themselves from the other as they always feel

inferior (Ramsey, Giskes, Turrell, & Gallegos, 2012).

Food insecurity is associated with mental health of human beings. Food insecurity is

associated with poor mental health and specific psychosocial stressors across global regions.

According to the statics collected, one out of three people globally experience common mental

disorder during their life time with symptoms such as depression, anxiety, as well as somatic

symptom disorders. Food insecurity is a major contributor towards mental disorder through

various mechanisms (Temple, 2008). When we generate uncertainty over the ability to maintain

food supply, or acquire sufficient food in the future, food insecurity can provoke a stress

response that may contribute to anxiety and depression. When we acquire food in ways which

are not socially acceptable, we tend to induce feelings of shame, alienation, powerlessness, and

Food insecurity in Australia 8

guilt which are associated with depression. Food insecurity has also been known to be a tool that

magnifies social economic disparities within households and communities which tend to increase

cultural sensitivity and influence the overall mental being (Temple, 2008).

With food insecurity where some people cannot afford basic food leave alone

nutritionally fit, the community is faced with a threat of many people suffering from diseases as

well as deaths as some disease requires adequate diet which they cannot afford. With families

that are suffering from hunger, the children cannot concentrate on their studies as they are always

thinking what they will eat and the next meal. This has really affected their mental stability as

they are not able to enjoy their childhood. Many of the children are also burdened with the task

of providing for their families which is unacceptable but due to the economic status of the

family, they are forced to take part in helping out. This really affects their brain development as

they do not engage in the usual activities a child should engage in while growing up and they

also tend to skip some stages in their life which contributes to their mental growth.

Food insecurity in Australia 9

References

Booth, S., & Smith, A. (2001). Food security and poverty in Australia-challenges for

dietitians. Australian Journal of Nutrition and Dietetics, 58(3), 150-156.

Booth, S., & Whelan, J. (2014). Hungry for change: the food banking industry in

Australia. British Food Journal, 116(9), 1392-1404.

Burns, C. (2004). A review of the literature describing the link between poverty, food insecurity

and obesity with specific reference to Australia (pp. 1-26). Melbourne: VicHealth.

Crawford, B., Yamazaki, R., Franke, E., Amanatidis, S., Ravulo, J., Steinbeck, K., ... &

Torvaldsen, S. (2014). Sustaining dignity? Food insecurity in homeless young people in

urban Australia. Health Promotion Journal of Australia, 25(2), 71-78.

Foley, W., Ward, P., Carter, P., Coveney, J., Tsourtos, G., & Taylor, A. (2010). An ecological

analysis of factors associated with food insecurity in South Australia, 2002–7. Public

health nutrition, 13(2), 215-221.

Nolan, M., Rikard-Bell, G., Mohsin, M., & Williams, M. (2006). Food insecurity in three

socially disadvantaged localities in Sydney, Australia. Health Promotion Journal of

Australia, 17(3), 247-253.

Phongsavan, P., Chey, T., Bauman, A., Brooks, R., & Silove, D. (2006). Social capital, socio-

economic status and psychological distress among Australian adults. Social science &

medicine, 63(10), 2546-2561.

Ramsey, R., Giskes, K., Turrell, G., & Gallegos, D. (2011). Food insecurity among Australian

children: potential determinants, health and developmental consequences. Journal of

Child Health Care, 15(4), 401-416.

Ramsey, R., Giskes, K., Turrell, G., & Gallegos, D. (2012). Food insecurity among adults

residing in disadvantaged urban areas: potential health and dietary consequences. Public

health nutrition, 15(2), 227-237.

Rosier, K. (2011). Food insecurity in Australia. Who Experiences It and How Can Child and

Family Services Support Families Experiencing It.

Rosier, K. (2011). Food insecurity in Australia: what is it, who experiences it and how can child

and family services support families experiencing it?. Australian Institute of Family

Studies.

Temple, J. B. (2008). Severe and moderate forms of food insecurity in Australia: are they

distinguishable?. Australian journal of social issues, 43(4), 649-668.

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