Food banks, welfare, and food insecurity in Canada

2014 ◽  
Vol 116 (9) ◽  
pp. 1405-1417 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valerie Tarasuk ◽  
Naomi Dachner ◽  
Rachel Loopstra
Keyword(s):  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Social Assistance ◽  
Food Assistance ◽  
Food Banks ◽  
Food Bank ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Assistance Programs ◽  
Recent Emergence ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – Similar to the recent emergence of food banks in other affluent nations, the genesis and ultimate entrenchment of food banks in Canada has been tightly intertwined with the dismantling of the welfare state. Through an examination of Canadian data, the authors elucidate the implications of entrenching voluntary, extra-governmental, charitable food assistance programs as an adjunct to publicly funded social assistance programs. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – Publicly available food bank reports, population health survey data, and the results of a study of low-income families in Toronto are reviewed to examine the food security status of social assistance recipients and their use of food banks. Findings – In 2012, 70 percent of households in Canada who were reliant on social assistance were food insecure. Social assistance recipients comprise at least half of food bank clientele and have done so for as long as this information has been tracked, but the assistance provided by food banks appears insufficient to alter households’ food insecurity. Although food banks currently distribute over 200 million pounds of food annually, the scale of their operations pales in comparison to the food needs of those who seek their help. Originality/value – In the 30 years since food banks began in Canada, there has been considerable research into this response, as well as extensive population monitoring of food insecurity. Canada provides an informative case study of an affluent country's long-term dependency on charitable food assistance and the impact this has on the food insecurity of those reliant on social assistance programs.

The “dark side” of food banks? Exploring emotional responses of food bank receivers in the Netherlands

2014 ◽  
Vol 116 (9) ◽  
pp. 1506-1520 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hilje van der Horst ◽  
Stefano Pascucci ◽  
Wilma Bol
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Charitable Giving ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Food Assistance ◽  
Dark Side ◽  
Food Banks ◽  
Food Bank ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Depth Interviews

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to address how food, social status as well as the interactions at the food bank induce emotions in receivers, such as shame, gratitude and anger. Since early 2000s a steadily growing number of low-income and/or over-indebted households in the Netherlands alleviate their situation with food donations from local food banks. Such food banks collect from companies edible food that would otherwise have gone to waste. The growing demand for food assistance indicates it is a welcome contribution to the groceries in many households. However, receiving food assistance as well as eating the products forces the receivers to set aside embodied dispositions towards food and norms about how to obtain food. Furthermore, it places them in interactions of charitable giving that may be harmful to the self-esteem of receivers. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on a qualitative study at a food bank in the Netherlands, consisting among others of in-depth interviews with 17 receivers of food assistance, observations and several interviews with volunteers. Findings – Of all emotions that were expressed during the interviews, shame appeared as the most prominent. Particularly issues of shame emerged in relation to all three food-bank-related experiences: the content of the crate, the interaction with volunteers and lastly the understanding of one's positioning in a social hierarchy. While shame can be a very private emotion – even talking about being ashamed can be shameful – it is also an utterly social emotion. Originality/value – This research is among the few ones explicitly addressing emotional emotions related to receivers in food bank.

scholarly journals Racial, Gender, and Age Dynamics in Michigan’s Urban and Rural Farmers Markets: Reducing Food Insecurity, and the Impacts of a Pandemic

2021 ◽  
pp. 000276422110133
Author(s):  
Dorceta E. Taylor ◽  
Alliyah Lusuegro ◽  
Victoria Loong ◽  
Alexis Cambridge ◽  
Claire Nichols ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Food Assistance ◽  
People Of Color ◽  
Farmers Markets ◽  
Farmers Market ◽  
Assistance Programs ◽  
Nutrition Assistance ◽  
Nutrition Assistance Programs ◽  
Number Of Customers

In recent decades, the number of farmer’s markets has increased dramatically across the country. Though farmers markets have been described as White spaces, they can play important roles in reducing food insecurity. This is particularly true in Michigan where farmer’s markets were crucial collaborators in pioneering programs such as Double-Up Food Bucks that help low-income residents and people of color gain access to fresh, healthy, locally grown food. This article examines the questions: (1) What are the demographic characteristics of the farmers market managers, vendors, and customers and how do these influence market activities? (2) To what extent do farmers markets participate in programs aimed at reducing food insecurity? (3) To what extent do farmers markets serve low-income residents and people of color? and (4) How has the Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19) affected the operations of farmers markets. This article discusses the findings of a 2020 study that examined the extent to which Michigan’s farmer’s markets served low-income customers and people of color and participated in food assistance programs. The study examined 79 farmers markets and found that 87.3% of the farmer’s market managers are White. On average, roughly 79% of the vendors of the markets are White and almost 18% are people of color. Most of the vendors in the markets participate in nutrition assistance programs. Market managers estimate that about 76% of their customers are White and about 23% are people of color. Farmers markets operated by people of color attract higher numbers of customers and vendors of color than those operated White market managers. Almost half of the farmer’s markets started operations later than usual in 2020 because of the pandemic. More than a third of the markets reported that their funding declined during the pandemic. Moreover, the number of vendors declined at two thirds of the markets and the number of customers dipped at more than 40% of the markets. On the other hand, the number of people requesting food assistance during the pandemic increased in more than half of the markets.

Dynamics of affordability and immigration in the Canadian housing market

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vikkram Singh
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Policy Formulation ◽  
Housing Affordability ◽  
Immigrant Integration ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Assistance Programs ◽  
Essential Contribution ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This study aims to make two major contributions. First, given the literature gap in housing unaffordability for different immigrant groups in Canada, it makes an essential contribution to the literature. To the best of the knowledge, this study is the first study of its kind to examine housing unaffordability by examining different immigrant groups. Second, differences in unaffordability can help understand the decline in welfare, as it can have financial implications and a negative impact on health outcomes. Third, this study’s findings are valuable for policy formulation to improve immigrant integration and ease the housing unaffordability crisis. Design/methodology/approach This study examines the determinants of housing affordability to investigate differences among various immigrant groups in Canada. A bivariate logit model using public microdata from the Canadian census estimates the determinants of moderate and severe unaffordability. Additionally, the separation of tenants and owners provides insights into the dynamics of unaffordability. The results show significant differences between immigrant groups with higher levels of unaffordability among Asian immigrants. The insights can help devise and implement housing assistance programs to address the challenges arising from the post-COVID-19 pandemic phase. Findings The results indicate that unaffordability declines with increasing age, education and full-time employment. Gender dynamics are evident, with women faring worse than men regarding the likelihood of extreme housing unaffordability. Households face a greater likelihood of unaffordability in more populous provinces and larger census metropolitan areas that struggle with the high cost of living, racial disparities and low income. Immigrants, especially from Asia, Africa and the Middle East, continue to struggle with chronic and severe unaffordability issues. The impact is much more severe for those renting, exemplifying the strain it is taking on the financial health of recent immigrants. Originality/value Given the literature gap in housing unaffordability for different immigrant groups in Canada, it makes an essential contribution to the literature. To the best of the knowledge, this study is the first study of its kind to examine housing unaffordability by examining different immigrant groups.

scholarly journals Food Insecurity in a Low-Income, Predominantly African American Cohort Following the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 111 (3) ◽  
pp. 494-497
Author(s):  
Tamara Dubowitz ◽  
Madhumita Ghosh Dastidar ◽  
Wendy M. Troxel ◽  
Robin Beckman ◽  
Alvin Nugroho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Low Income ◽  
The United States ◽  
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program ◽  
Food Bank ◽  
Assistance Program ◽  
Nutrition Assistance ◽  
National Trends ◽  
The Impact

Objectives. To examine the impact of COVID-19 shutdowns on food insecurity among a predominantly African American cohort residing in low-income racially isolated neighborhoods. Methods. Residents of 2 low-income African American food desert neighborhoods in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, were surveyed from March 23 to May 22, 2020, drawing on a longitudinal cohort (n = 605) previously followed from 2011 to 2018. We examined longitudinal trends in food insecurity from 2011 to 2020 and compared them with national trends. We also assessed use of food assistance in our sample in 2018 versus 2020. Results. From 2018 to 2020, food insecurity increased from 20.7% to 36.9% (t = 7.63; P < .001) after steady declines since 2011. As a result of COVID-19, the United States has experienced a 60% increase in food insecurity, whereas this sample showed a nearly 80% increase, widening a preexisting disparity. Participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (52.2%) and food bank use (35.9%) did not change significantly during the early weeks of the pandemic. Conclusions. Longitudinal data highlight profound inequities that have been exacerbated by COVID-19. Existing policies appear inadequate to address the widening gap.

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.

Food insecurity among postsecondary students in developed countries

2018 ◽  
Vol 120 (11) ◽  
pp. 2660-2680 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Dawn Lee ◽  
Mahitab Hanbazaza ◽  
Geoff D.C. Ball ◽  
Anna Farmer ◽  
Katerina Maximova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Quality Assessment ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Postsecondary Students ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Quantitative Studies ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to conduct a narrative review of the food insecurity literature pertaining to university and college students studying in Very High Human Development Index countries. It aims to document food insecurity prevalence, risk factors for and consequences of food insecurity and food insecurity coping strategies among students. Design/methodology/approach English articles published between January 2000 and November 2017 were identified using electronic databases. Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies assessed the study quality of quantitative research. Findings A total of 37 quantitative, three mixed-methods and three qualitative studies were included from 80,914 students from the USA (n=30 studies), Australia (n=4), Canada (n=8) and Poland (n=1). Prevalence estimates of food insecurity were 9–89 percent. All quantitative studies were rated weak based on the quality assessment. Risk factors for food insecurity included being low income, living away from home or being an ethnic minority. Negative consequences of food insecurity were reported, including reduced academic performance and poor diet quality. Strategies to mitigate food insecurity were numerous, including accessing food charities, buying cheaper food and borrowing resources from friends or relatives. Research limitations/implications Given the heterogeneity across studies, a precise estimate of the prevalence of food insecurity in postsecondary students is unknown. Practical implications For many students studying in wealthy countries, obtaining a postsecondary education might mean enduring years of food insecurity and consequently, suffering a range of negative academic, nutritional and health outcomes. There is a need to quantify the magnitude of food insecurity in postsecondary students, to inform the development, implementation and evaluation of strategies to reduce the impact of food insecurity on campus. Originality/value This review brings together the existing literature on food insecurity among postsecondary students studying in wealthy countries to allow a better understanding of the condition in this understudied group.

scholarly journals Comparison of Emergency Preparedness Practices between Food Assistance Program Participants and Non-Participants in the United States

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (24) ◽  
pp. 12937
Author(s):  
Gina J. Fung ◽  
Laura K. Jefferies ◽  
Michelle A. Lloyd Call ◽  
Dennis L. Eggett ◽  
Rickelle Richards
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
The United States ◽  
Food Assistance ◽  
Food Assistance Programs ◽  
Assistance Program ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Assistance Programs ◽  
The Impact

Background: Previous research has suggested many households are meeting the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s 3-day emergency food and water storage recommendations. The impact of limited economic household resources on emergency preparedness practices related to food and water is uncertain. The purpose of this study was to compare emergency preparedness practices in households participating in United States’ food assistance programs with households not participating in these programs. Methods: A convenience sample of adults (n = 572) completed an online Qualtrics survey. Descriptive statistics, chi-square statistics, and independent t-tests were used to measure differences between households participating in food assistance programs vs. non-participating households. Results: Most households participating in food assistance programs felt prepared to provide household members with food and water during an emergency, which did not significantly differ from non-participating households. Households using food assistance programs had less accessible cash but had similar foods on-hand for an emergency compared to non-participating households. However, they more frequently reported having baby formula/food and less frequently reported having vitamin/mineral supplements compared to non-participating households. Conclusions: Food assistance programs may be effective in providing enough food and water to help low-income families be prepared for an emergency.

scholarly journals Gardening for change: Community giving gardens and senior food insecurity

2021 ◽  
pp. 85-101
Author(s):  
Kathleen Tims ◽  
Mark Haggerty ◽  
John Jemison ◽  
Melissa Ladenheim ◽  
Sarah Mullis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Food Access ◽  
Local Food ◽  
The United States ◽  
Food Assistance ◽  
Food Assistance Programs ◽  
Assistance Programs ◽  
Fresh Food ◽  
Food Security Status ◽  
The Impact

An estimated 5.3 million seniors in the United States are currently food insecure (Ziliak & Gunderson, 2020). Over the next few decades, these senior populations are projected to increase dramatically, which will only exacerbate this issue (Mather & Kilduff, 2020). Community giving gardens are an emerging strategy to increase food access and offer a solution to fight food insecurity locally (Chicago Community Gardeners Associa­tion, 2014; Furness & Gallaher 2018; Sutphen, 2018). This research seeks to answer questions related to rural, senior food insecurity through a case study of a long-term community giving garden project in Orono, Maine. Based on survey data and personal interviews, this study analyzes senior participation in the Orono Community Garden (OCG) program, the impact on participants’ food security status, and senior participants’ perceptions of the experience. The results indicate that the OCG program functioned to increase food access by providing fresh food deliveries directly to senior households in need, alongside a constellation of local food assistance programs located in Orono. Participants also viewed the OCG program as a source of destigmatized and socially acceptable food access, in contrast to other food assistance programs. Community giving gardens, like the OCG program, can be an effective tool to combat senior food insecurity by providing nutritionally adequate, destigmatized food access while building local food economies.

scholarly journals Comparing German and Italian food banks

2018 ◽  
Vol 120 (10) ◽  
pp. 2425-2438 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meike Rombach ◽  
Vera Bitsch ◽  
Eunkyung Kang ◽  
Francesco Ricchieri
Keyword(s):  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Procedural Knowledge ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
User Interaction ◽  
Food Banks ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Food Bank ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Knowledge Framework

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate food bank actors’ knowledge of food insecurity in Germany and in Italy, as well as interactions between food bank actors and food bank users. The study builds on a knowledge framework from an educational context and applies it to food banks. Design/methodology/approach The study uses a qualitative research approach. In all, 22 in-depth interviews were recorded, transcribed and analyzed through inductive qualitative content analysis. Findings German and Italian food bank actors interviewed had at least situational knowledge on food insecurity. Some actors of the Italian food bank also showed procedural knowledge. Interactions between food bank personnel and users were affected by feelings of gratitude, shame, anger and disappointment. Originality/value The study explores food bank personnel’s knowledge on food insecurity, which appears to be a knowledge gap, even though many prior studies were dedicated to food banks and food insecurity. The study contributes to knowledge systematization to provide best practice recommendations for volunteer-user interaction, and suggests how food bank managers and volunteers’ knowledge can be improved.

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