Let’s talk about food insecurity.
Food insecurity is a prevalent and multifaceted global issue that is embedded within other systematic issues. Among this, it is an invisible issue that immensely impacts social, mental, and physical health.
What is Food Security?
To understand food insecurity, we must understand the definition of food security.
Food security occurs when all people have sufficient and constant physical and economic access to culturally acceptable, nutritious and safe foods that also meets food preferences and dietary requirements, in order to achieve a healthy and active life.
What is Household Food Insecurity?
Household food insecurity is insufficient or inadequate access to food due to inadequate income or financial barriers.
There are three levels of household food insecurity:
- Marginal Food Insecurity: Limited access to food or the constant worry that food will run out
- Moderate Food Insecurity: Consuming less food and/or lower quality food
- Severe Food Insecurity: Decreasing food intake, skipping meals, or going day(s) without eating
Overall, marginalized groups are at greater risk for experiencing food insecurity. Specifically, minority groups, immigrants and refugees, single parents, women, and unattached individuals have a higher risk of experiencing food insecurity.
Moreover, food insecurity is correlated with multiple socioeconomic factors, such as unstable housing, location of residence and income level.
Sources
- FAO Agricultural and Development Economics Division. (2006, June). Food Security. http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/faoitaly/documents/pdf/pdf_Food_Security_Cocept_Note.pdf
- PROOF. (n.d.). Household Food Insecurity in Canada. https://proof.utoronto.ca/food-insecurity/
- Dieticians of Canada. (2016, August). Prevalence, Severity and Impact of Household Food Insecurity: A Serious Public Health Issue. https://www.dietitians.ca/DietitiansOfCanada/media/Documents/Resources/HFI-Background-DC-FINAL.pdf?ext=.pdf
- Miewald, C., & Ostry, A. (2014). A warm meal and a bed: Intersections of housing and food security in vancouver’s downtown eastside. Housing Studies, 29(6), 709–729. https://doi.org/10.1080/02673037.2014.920769
