Food Insecurity in Regional Rural Australia

ABSTRACT

This study explores food relief recipients' and providers’ experiences and perceptions of food insecurity in a large regional town in Australia. The cross-sectional qualitative methods research design incorporated survey-based interviews of four food relief services, a focus group of food relief recipients and two biographical interviews of food insecurity experience. Qualitative thematic data analysis provided insight into the respondents’ experience and perceptions of the causes of food insecurity, the provision of food relief and the limitations of a charity model. An ecological-model-based analysis shows that food insecurity is the product of multiple complex causes including chronic and situational poverty. Political dimensions emerged in terms of the policies that are developed or omitted.

IMPLICATIONS

• Social workers need to advocate for the human right to food and strengthen capacity at multiple levels to improve food security.

• Improving access to quality and culturally appropriate food requires the implementation of multiple strategies.

本文研究了在一个大型地区性城市中救济食品领取者和发放者的经历以及他们对食品匮乏的感受。本文为截面式的定性研究，包含了对四个救济食品服务机构的调查式访谈、救济食品领取者的焦点小组的资料、以及两项对食品匮乏经历的传记式访谈。作者采用定性主题资料分析，考察了受访者的经历以及对食品匮乏的原因、救济食品的提供、慈善模式的局限性等等的看法。根据一项基于生态模型的分析，食品不安全有多重复杂的原因，包括长期的以及一时环境造成的贫穷。政治维度在于政策的形成或忽略。

KEYWORDS:

• Food Security
• Regional Australia
• Ecological Model
• Human Right to Food
• Food Insecurity and Health
• Food Relief Agencies

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to all the research participants

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The research was supported with a grant provided by the Charles Sturt University through Community University Partnership and by members of the Wagga District Food Group.