Literature Review: A Review of literature describing Emergency Food Systems, and Community Food Assistance Programs
Authors: Jo Grimsey Project Officer & Amanda Stirrat Project Supervisor COGG
Table of Contents
1. Introduction 3
1.1 Forward 3
1.2 Problem Statement 4
1.3 Background & Significance of the Problem 4
Local Context 4
2. Literature Review 5
2.1 We need to eat, we need to eat well 5
2.2 Multifaceted approach is required 6
2.3 Food is a barometer of our environment, economy and health 7
2.4 Community based 8
2.5 Need a shift 9
2.6 What works/what doesn’t 10
2.7 Newly Arrived and Refugees 11
2.8 Hub & Spoke Models 11
2.9a Challenges 13
2.9b Factors for Success 13
3. Future Research 14
4. Summation………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………15
5. Conclusion 17
APPENDIX 1: Data Summary Table 18
Glossary of Terms………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..32
References 36
1. Introduction
1.1 Forward
Healthy eating is the foundation of a healthy population and a productive workforce.1 Within the City of Greater Geelong, evidence shows that not everyone has regular access to food meaning many persons are and are ‘at risk’ of being food insecure. Food insecurity in the region has detrimental affects on the health of individuals, families and the community as a whole.2 Ideally we would like to see a population that can access fresh affordable and nutritious food from non-emergency sources, but it is vital that there are sustainable, complementary and transparent Food Relief Services operating in Geelong to act as a fall back when individuals and families find themselves in crisis situations.
1.2 Problem Statement
Having adequate food to eat is a basic human right.3 Basic human rights uphold a person’s dignity. Dignity with regard to food is having choice over what one would like to eat and being able to access those foods. For a community to be considered food secure all people, at all times, must have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.4 Food insecurity is a growing issue. It is increasingly apparent that individuals, families, communities and the environment are being impacted. Food insecurity affects people’s physical, mental and social wellbeing.5
At any given time, a proportion of people experience some degree of food insecurity which can occur at the individual, household, community, national and global level. Evidence shows that people who are most at risk or vulnerable to food insecurity fall into the following categories.
· People on low incomes
· Households experiencing household stress
· People who are homeless
· Mothers and children, particularly single parents
· People with poor access to transport (public or private)
· People with disabilities
· Frail aged people
· People from CALD and refugee backgrounds (asylum seekers and newly arrived migrants)
· Indigenous Australians6
Insufficient income is the primary cause of food insecurity in Australia and can result in people relying on emergency food banks, parents giving food to their children but not themselves, purchasing filling but unhealthy cheaper food, reducing fruit and vegetable consumption, experiencing impaired ability to concentrate and work, increased household stress, lower self esteem and increased sickness and mortality.7
It is well known that Areas within Geelong have socio-economic indicators much lower than the state averages. The G21 Food Security Network completed a Needs Assessment of Geelong and it was recommended that in order to improve food security, the Emergency Food Relief Services need to work more collaboratively to provide a cost effective complementary food relief service and to identify ways to increase food security to this vulnerable population group. It is imperative that organisational operations are evidence based, sustainable and complementary to provide food relief to those most in need.
1.3 Background & Significance of the Problem
Local Context
A vital determinant of health is adequate nutrition. Adequate nutrition is determined by food security.5 People are food secure when they have, at all times, physical and economic access to safe, nutritious and appropriate food for a healthy lifestyle.6 When people do not have adequate physical, economic or social access to food, they are food insecure.6 Food insecurity and its related health issues are a major current global concern.8 Food insecurity affects people’s physical, mental and social health. People experiencing food insecurity are more likely to be overweight, underweight, have lack of energy and suffer anxiety.2
Agreed estimates of people experiencing food insecurity vary widely. They range from 2% in the general population to as high as 24% in some at risk groups.9 Response rates from the Victorian Population Health Survey 2008 showed that 1 in 20 adults had ran out of food in the last 12 months.9
The Needs Assessment conducted in Geelong revealed pockets of food insecurity reaching levels of 19%.10
It is important to look beyond individual risk conditions to surrounding social and environmental causes of food insecurity. A difficult economic climate has significant influences on food security.7 Geelong is currently facing tough economic times with the downturn in manufacturing resulting in high unemployment. Latest figures from the 2011 census stated that 38.6% of individuals in Geelong earn $400 or less per week.11 Suburbs including Whittington and Corio represent areas of high disadvantage in Victoria (1st decile).11 The Victorian Healthy Food Basket Survey Tool has shown that a healthy basket of food for a family of 4 remains unaffordable (>30% of income) for many in our region.12 Geelong is a resettlement site for many refugees making affordable and appropriate nutritious food an important humanitarian health determinant.11
The City of Greater Geelong in preparing the 2013-2017 Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan outlined actions that the City will undertake to build the capacity of the organisation to more effectively address the health and well being needs of our community. The key health and well being priorities for 2013-2017 that would directly relate to the Emergency food relief sector are; Accessible and Nutritious Food and Social inclusion and Community Connectedness. It is well recognised that local government plays an integral role in developing and implementing integrated and sustainable food security solutions.2 Ensuring food security in the region is an important determinant in the health of the local community. Sustainable community food security promotes self reliance and social justice.5
The G21 Food Security Network aspired to create a collaborative and strategic approach to improving food security of which the Emergency Food Relief sector in an integral part. A Needs Assessment in 2012 and a Municipal Food Scan in 2013 completed by the Network recommended the need to establish and build the capacity of an Emergency Food Relief Network.10&13
In September 2013 the Geelong Food Assistance Network was established with two arms a Leadership Group and a General Network Group. The Primary role of the Network is to provide coordination of a regional approach to the Food Relief Service system to meet the needs of those experiencing food insecurity in the Greater Geelong Community.
As a first step in understanding the complexity of the Food Relief Service System in our Greater Geelong Community, a Literature Review and a Needs Assessment/audit was conducted over the November/December of 2013.
2. Literature Review
2.1 We need to eat, we need to eat well
Food is a fundamental right ‘when it becomes scarce people will fight for it, yet when it is abundant we waste it’.14 An estimated 20-40% of fruit & vegetables are rejected before they reach the shops because they do not meet cosmetic demands.15 This does not sit well when many in the community are struggling to find enough food to eat, especially nutritious fresh produce. Community based food programs are where people are directed to in the case of hunger and food shortage.16 In harsh and uncertain environments these programs play a key role in providing food assistance to people in need.17 Emergency food assistance needs to be adequate but also of high nutritional value to support people who are already at high risk of poor health outcomes.18 The literature states that clients of emergency food assistance experience more severe hardships, health problems and material deprivation, compared to the general low-income population.19 Also noted is that there is a strong correlation between diet quality and socioeconomic status.20 It is vital then that emergency food assistance provides varied and nutritious options to encourage better dietary choices.
Initiatives to improve the sustainability and nutritional quality of emergency food assistance must be explored. Local production can aid in the acquisition of good quality safe produce which is appropriate for the community demographic.21 Research shows that local food will play a prominent role in increasing future food security.22 Public education may also help promote the donation of healthier produce (lower sodium, more fresh fruit & vegetables) to food assistance agencies.23 At the same time emergency food assistance providers need to be supported with resources such as adequate storage facilities for fresh food.24 Eating well in contemporary times must reflect modern communities as people source foods that address their values and health requirements such as organic, halal, culturally specific and gluten free.21 Regardless of the model used, food relief should be based around equity and shared donations so that all agencies and clients have access to a diverse range of healthy produce.25
2.2 Multifaceted approach is required
There is no single pathway to food security for all.26 Improving food security requires a multilayered response which targets the root social determinants of food shortage reaching across many sectors.24 This will require input from all levels of society ranging from Federal, state and local Government to community engagement and commitment to improving the local food chain.14 Australia’s food production in the future will have to supply more people with fewer resources meaning that alternative food sources must be acquired.27 The literature shows that low income is the strongest indicator of food insecurity and emergency food assistance usage so addressing food supply alone is insufficient, it is essential to also advocate for policy change.28 Raising public and political awareness of food security can help advocate for social assistance reform.29 As exemplified in 2002 when the Government of Quebec passed landmark legislation, the Act to Combat Poverty & Social Exclusion, tackling food insecurity on both fronts: short term addressing immediate needs along with long-term interventions to empower people.22 This supports literary findings that predict long term food security will most probably be respondent to broad-based steady growth in productivity, employment & incomes.26
Standalone food banks have been criticized as a ‘band aid’ to the problem of food insecurity and it is now recommended that they run in conjunction with programs addressing larger social determinants of food insecurity to help pull people out of a cycle of disadvantage.30 There are recommendations that food assistance services move from transaction models to capacity building initiatives such as cooking classes, education, training sessions and healthy food farming techniques.31 For best results programs must have support from government.16 Examples of transport subsidies and business incentive policies offering rebates to local producers are mentioned as possible ideas to improve food supplies and affordability.22 Transport companies must make appropriate changes to allow easier access to food assistance services.29 This is vital as transport to these services is often cited as a major barrier to people accessing food when they need it.19
Emergency food assistance also plays an important humanitarian role in resettling of refugees and asylum seekers. The number of refugees entering Australia has steadily increased and with that an increase in the prevalence of food insecurity has also been noted.32 The high demand for visas has resulted in waiting times of several years leaving people in states of low income for extended periods.33 Refugees arriving in Australia have a better chance of employment if they have local qualifications and work place training both of which an expanded emergency food model could potentially provide resulting in improved quality of life for our new arrivals.34
2.3 Food is a barometer of our environment, economy and health
Food is often seen purely as a commodity but it is strongly linked to our economic, social and physical well being as a nation.14 The ‘Vital Signs Study’ in Canada illustrated how many pressing issues converge at food including poverty, economy, poor health and the state of our environment.21 Food insecurity is not just about being hungry it reflects the poverty and social exclusion members of our community are experiencing.35The most common strategy employed in response to household food shortages is to delay payment of utilities bills.36 Food assistance programs act as vital safety nets to gaps existing in social services.26 Our community’s health must be seen and appreciated as ‘a resource for social and economic growth’ and as such an important investment.20 It has been shown that at least 45% of emergency food assistance households contain children which is a worrying statistic for our future viability.19
The literature reveals that food can be a ‘powerful builder of community cohesion’.21Food unifies people in shared experiences. This unity can be used as a vehicle to instigate social change such as the ‘Hot Potato Campaign’ using ethnic recipes to initiate conversations dispelling common asylum seeker “myths”.37
Around $848 million dollars of fresh food goes to landfill each year but many Australians, who pride themselves on caring for environmental impact, are unaware of this wastage.27 It is imperative that a modern emergency food relief model aims to reduce food waste and increase resource efficiency to protect our environment.
To prevent further health inequalities in the community, food networks and programs should be transparent and equitable.25 An awareness raising campaign named ‘Do the Math, Eat the Math’ demonstrated to members of parliament how living off restricted food choices dramatically effects people’s overall sense of well being making it vital to advocate for reforms to break cycles of poverty.23 Work must be done to mainstream Emergency food relief projects to reduce the stigma associated with accessing these services.24 The way food assistance is provided can either add or subtract to the sense of exclusion and a choice based system is recommended as the most dignified and empowering approach.29