Food Bank Usage Is a Poor Indicator of Food Insecurity: Insights from Canada

2015 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 443-455 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Loopstra ◽  
Valerie Tarasuk
Keyword(s):  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Food Access ◽  
Household Food Insecurity ◽  
Food Banks ◽  
Policy Recommendations ◽  
Food Bank ◽  
Household Food ◽  
Representative Subset ◽  
Poor Indicator ◽  
Regular Measurement

This article reflects on the insights afforded by the regular measurement and monitoring of household food insecurity in Canada juxtaposed against information on food bank usage in the population. We show that the number and characteristics of people using food banks suggest that this population is a non-representative subset of the food insecure population. We also highlight how the number of people using food banks is insensitive to the level of household food insecurity in the population. Who goes to food banks is a function of the nature of food bank operations and the severity of food insecurity. Representative data on household food insecurity should be regularly collected and utilised to make policy recommendations for interventions to address the problem of insecure food access.

An adapted Household Food Insecurity Access Scale is a valid tool as a proxy measure of food access for use in urban Iran

Food Security ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 275-282 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nahid Salarkia ◽  
Morteza Abdollahi ◽  
Maryam Amini ◽  
Tirang Reza Neyestani
Keyword(s):  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Food Access ◽  
Household Food Insecurity ◽  
Household Food ◽  
Proxy Measure ◽  
Food Insecurity Access

scholarly journals The Early Food Insecurity Impacts of COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meredith T. Niles ◽  
Farryl Bertmann ◽  
Emily H. Belarmino ◽  
Thomas Wentworth ◽  
Erin Biehl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Food Access ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Household Food Insecurity ◽  
Individual Health ◽  
Household Food ◽  
Economic Barriers ◽  
Security Module ◽  
Food Insecure Households

Background COVID-19 has disrupted food access and impacted food insecurity, which is associated with numerous adverse individual and public health outcomes. Methods We conducted a statewide population-level survey in Vermont from March 29-April 12, 2020, during the beginning of a statewide stay-at-home order. We utilized the USDA six-item validated food security module to measure food insecurity before COVID-19 and since COVID-19. We assessed food insecurity prevalence and reported food access challenges, coping strategies, and perceived helpful interventions among food secure, consistently food insecure (pre-and post COVID-19), and newly food insecure (post COVID-19) respondents. Results Among 3,219 respondents, there was a 33% increase in household food insecurity since COVID-19 (p<0.001), with 35.6% of food insecure households classified as newly food insecure. Respondents experiencing a job loss were more likely to experience food insecurity (OR 3.43; 95% CI, 2.45-4.80). Multiple physical and economic barriers, as well as concerns related to food access during COVID-19, are reported, with respondents experiencing household food insecurity more likely to face access challenges (p<0.001). Significant differences in coping strategies were documented between respondents in newly food insecure vs. consistently insecure households. Conclusions Since the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a significant increase in food insecurity in Vermont, accompanied by major food access barriers. These findings have important potential impacts on individual health, including mental health and malnutrition, as well as on future healthcare costs. We suggest proactive strategies to address food insecurity during this crisis.

scholarly journals Impact of Welfare Benefit Sanctioning on Food Insecurity: a Dynamic Cross-Area Study of Food Bank Usage in the UK

2018 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 437-457 ◽  
Author(s):  
RACHEL LOOPSTRA ◽  
JASMINE FLEDDERJOHANN ◽  
AARON REEVES ◽  
DAVID STUCKLER
Keyword(s):  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Unemployment Insurance ◽  
Local Authority ◽  
Food Distribution ◽  
Food Banks ◽  
Food Bank ◽  
Welfare Benefit ◽  
Household Food ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

AbstractSince 2009, the UK has witnessed marked increases in the rate of sanctions applied to unemployment insurance claimants, as part of a wider agenda of austerity and welfare reform. In 2013, over one million sanctions were applied, stopping benefit payments for a minimum of four weeks and potentially leaving people facing economic hardship and driving them to use food banks. Here we explore whether sanctioning is associated with food bank use by linking data from The Trussell Trust Foodbank Network with records on sanctioning rates across 259 local authorities in the UK. After accounting for local authority differences and time trends, the rate of adults fed by food banks rose by an additional 3.36 adults per 100,000 (95% CI: 1.71 to 5.01) as the rate of sanctioning increased by 10 per 100,000 adults. The availability of food distribution sites affected how tightly sanctioning and food bank usage were associated (p< 0.001); in areas with few distribution sites, rising sanctions led to smaller increases in food bank usage. In conclusion, sanctioning is closely linked with rising food bank usage, but the impact of sanctioning on household food insecurity is not fully reflected in available data.

scholarly journals Interventions to address household food insecurity in high-income countries

2018 ◽  
Vol 77 (3) ◽  
pp. 270-281 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Loopstra
Keyword(s):  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
High Income ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Household Food Insecurity ◽  
Food Banks ◽  
Household Food ◽  
The Usa ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Community Kitchens

Household food insecurity is a serious public health concern in high-income countries. Canada and the USA regularly monitor household food insecurity, while in other countries, such as the UK, it has been the rapid rise of food bank usage that has drawn increased attention to this longstanding, but largely overlooked, problem. This review evaluates evidence on interventions intended to reduce household food insecurity in high-income countries. Research on social protection interventions suggests both cash transfers and food subsidies (e.g. the US Supplement Nutrition and Assistance Programme) reduce household food insecurity. In contrast, research on community-level interventions, such as food banks and other food programmes, suggests limited impacts. Although food banks have become a common intervention for food insecurity in high-income countries, evidence suggests their reliance on donations of volunteer time and food make them inevitably limited in the assistance they are able to provide. The stigma people feel using food banks may also make them untenable. Alternatives to, or enhanced, food banks such as community shops or community kitchens, have become common, but evidence also suggests they may be limited in effectiveness if they do not reach people experiencing food insecurity. This review highlights the difficulty of trying to address household food insecurity with community-based food interventions when solutions likely lie upstream in social protection policies.

Household food insecurity and hunger in Babile district, Ethiopia

2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (10) ◽  
pp. 1225-1242
Author(s):  
Chanyalew Seyoum Aweke ◽  
Edward Lahiff ◽  
Muluken Gezahegn Wordofa ◽  
Jemal Y. Hassen
Keyword(s):  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Qualitative Methods ◽  
Food Access ◽  
Household Head ◽  
Household Food Insecurity ◽  
Eastern Ethiopia ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Household Food ◽  
Female Headed Households ◽  
Quantitative And Qualitative Methods

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine household food gap and food insecurity in Eastern Ethiopia. Differences in food gap and food insecurity were also examined in terms of gender of the household head and location.Design/methodology/approachA combination of quantitative and qualitative methods such as household survey, key informant interview and focused group discussion were utilized for this study. Households were drawn randomly from the study area.FindingsIn terms of food availability, more than half of the households experienced a food gap during the year, especially during the months of July and August. In terms of gender, female-headed households had more months of food shortage compared to their male counterparts. This disparity was also reflected in poorer food access among female-headed households as shown by the higher HFIAS. Differences in food insecurity were obtained in terms of gender of the household head and location. Livestock ownership, cereal crop production, extension contact and household size significantly influenced household food access.Research limitations/implicationsFindings are valid only for low-land agroecologiesOriginality/valueThis study contributes to the existing literature by examining household food gap and food insecurity using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods. It adds value in examining disparities between male-headed and female-headed households. Literature related to seasonal household food insecurity is limited in Ethiopia. This study contributes in this regard by examining seasonal food insecurity between post-harvest and pre-harvest seasons.

scholarly journals Household food insecurity and association with sociodemographic factors in Abidjan

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
J Sackou Kouakou ◽  
Y H Lobilé ◽  
K L Kouadio Kouakou
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Marital Status ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Food Access ◽  
Dietary Diversity ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Sociodemographic Factors ◽  
Household Food Insecurity ◽  
Household Food

Abstract Background Surveys in Côte d'Ivoire have shown an increase in food insecurity. In rural areas, it rose from 12.6% in 2009 to 20% in 2013. The situation was even more serious in urban areas, with 71% of households experiencing food insecurity. In peri-urban areas resulting from inappropriate urbanization, the food security situation may present others specificities compared to the urban area. Therefore, this study was conducted to assess the present situation of food security in a peri-urban neighborhood in Abidjan. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 648 households in April 2019. A structured interview was conducted. The questionnaire included households'sociodemographic characteristics on one side and measures of three food access indicators on the other. Those indicators were household food insecurity access scale (HFIAS), household dietary diversity score (HDDS) and household food consumption score (HFCS). Statistical analyses were carried out using Chi square test. Results Cereals and tubers were the most consumed foods 91.2% and 59.3% respectively. Few households consumed dairy products (1.4%), fruit (2%) and vegetables (7.9%). HFCS was adequate at 99.2% and HDDS was high in 44.2% of households. Only 3.8% of households were food secure. HFCS was related to the household head's age (p = 0.04). HDDS was associated with the sex and marital status of the household's head (respectively p = 0.019 and p &lt; 0.001) while education levels and marital status were related to severe food insecurity (HFIAS) (p = 0.002 and p = 0.005 respectively). Conclusions Our results highlight that some sociodemographic factors are related with the food security. Therefore, policymakers, producers and consumers should work together to better understand food access in periruban area and to help improve the food environment in ivorian cities. Key messages People in Abidjan still lack dietary diversification and experience food insecurity. It is important to work on factors such as education level to improve food security.

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