7. Food insecurity

Introduction

7.1This chapter examines food insecurity in Australia, including its origins and impacts, the importance of nutritional education and awareness, and particular challenges for Indigenous and remote communities. Responses to food insecurity in Australia are also discussed.

7.2Food insecurity can be an overlooked aspect of Australia’s food security. The Menzies Centre for Health Governance submitted that the ‘dominant discourse’ of Australia being food secure ‘masks the reality of household food insecurity that exists’.[1] Professor Danielle Gallegos, for the Public Health Association of Australia, outlined the significance of food insecurity:

Being able to access an affordable, nutritious diet that contributes to an active and healthy life, irrespective of your circumstances or where you live, is a human right. Food security is not only about being able to produce enough healthy food; it's also about making sure that it reaches the tables of families. … Our work is showing that this is not the case in Australia. … A generation of children are relying on chicken nuggets and chips day in and day out.[2]

What is food insecurity?

7.3The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) defines food insecurity as—‘a person is food insecure when they lack regular access to enough safe and nutritious food for normal growth and development and an active and healthy life’.[3]

7.4This definition of food insecurity is further categorised into degrees of severity:

• Mild: uncertainty regarding ability to obtain food.
• Moderate: compromising on food quality and variety; reducing food quantity; and skipping meals.
• Severe: no food for a day or more or, in extreme cases, several days.[4]
  5. The US Department of Agriculture defines food insecurity in terms of whether a person or household has limited or uncertain access to adequate food. Under this definition, the degree of insecurity is classed as:
• Low food security: reports of reduced quality, variety, or desirability of diet. Little or no indication of reduced food intake.
• Very low food security: reports of multiple indications of disrupted eating patterns and reduced food intake.[5]
  6. The Committee heard that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander definitions and understandings of food security may differ to commonly accepted Western definitions.[6] Rebekah Clancy, Miwatj Aboriginal Health Corporation, explained that in East Arnhem the definition of food security emphasizes cultural appropriateness, nutritional quality and sustainability.[7] Ms Clancy stated:

The land and the sea is our food security. It is our right. Food security for us has two parts. It's when the food of our ancestors is protected and always there for us and our children. It's when we can easily access and afford the right non-traditional food for a collective, healthy and active life. When we are food secure we can provide, share and fulfil our responsibilities. We can choose good food, know how to make healthy choices and know how to prepare and use it.[8]

How many people are food insecure?

7.7OzHarvest stated that food insecurity is a ‘complex issue’ that ‘affects people from across the community and it’s not always who you think.’[9]

7.8Many stakeholders highlighted the key findings of Foodbank Australia’s ‘Hunger Report 2022’ as an indicator of food insecurity in Australia.[10] Foodbank is a national food relief organisation that distributes food and groceries to charities.[11]

7.9Foodbank’s report found that in 2021, 2 million households (21 per cent of households) in Australia had experienced food insecurity ‘because of financial limitations and at worst went entire days without eating’.[12] The Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance estimated that among people experiencing food insecurity, only half will seek food relief from charities.[13]

7.10Other estimates of food insecurity ranged from four to thirteen per cent of the population. For example:

• The Australian Bureau of Statistics 2011–12 National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey found that:

Nationally, 4.0% of people lived in a household that, in the previous 12 months, had run out of food and could not afford to buy more, and 1.5% of all Australians were in a household where someone went without food when they couldn't afford to buy any more. Rates were similar for all States and Territories.[14]

• Dietitians Australia advised that food insecurity impacts between 4 per cent and 13 per cent of Australians and that 28,000 people die each year from causes linked to unhealthy diets.[15]
• Dr Rachel Carey cited (in addition to Foodbank’s report) the United Nations report on the ‘State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World’, which estimated that around 11 per cent of Australians were either severely or moderately food insecure between 2020 and 2022.[16]
  11. The Committee heard that there is limited statistical information on food insecurity in Australia and no agreed approach on how food insecurity is measured. For example, the University of Queensland submitted that there is ‘no nationally-recognised or consistent approach to measuring food insecurity’.[17] Western Sydney University academic Dr Liesel Spencer stated:

Australia needs to measure food security/food insecurity more regularly, using the most reliable and valid measuring tools. This is essential as the basis for an informed, equitable and effective regulatory response.[18]

7.12Dr Amy Carrad advised that measures of food insecurity in Australia are ‘severely lacking’ with existing data ‘extremely outdated’.[19] Dr Carrad suggested that household food security should be surveyed every three years.[20] Dietitians Australia also identified ‘a critical need to implement a routine, robust food security monitoring and surveillance system in Australia’;[21] as did the George Institute for Global Health (Australia) who recommended:

…extensive qualitative research with people experiencing food insecurity be conducted… to better understand the complex factors leading to and perpetuating food and water insecurity.[22]

7.13A number of stakeholders drew particular attention to the 18-item United States Department of Agriculture Household Food Security Survey Module to benchmark against high income countries.[23]

Origins and impacts of food insecurity

7.14A range of factors influence the extent and severity of food insecurity. The Committee heard that low incomes, high prices and long distances were among the common causes of food insecurity in Australia. The Community Grocer observed that food prices are at ‘near record levels…increasing the numbers of people experiencing food insecurity’ and that food charities are experiencing ‘unprecedented demand’.[24]

7.15The Australian Fresh Produce Alliance noted the ‘inability to access food is being driven by countless factors, such as household mortgage stress, petrol prices, utility prices and other household expenses’. It called on the government and responsible organisations to address the issues ‘preventing families from putting food on the table’.[25] Similarly, Darebin Information, Volunteer and Resource Service (based in the northern suburbs of Melbourne) discussed the impacts of cost-of-living increases and the linkages between food insecurity and financial hardship.[26]

7.16The National Retail Association also commented on the cost of living and food insecurity.[27] It stated:

…high inflation, increasing energy bills and subsequent impact on the cost of food and groceries has increased food insecurity for many Australians. Increasing costs of food in rural, remote, and regional Australia significantly impacts the access to food in these communities. Geographical location and supply and demand issues have resulted in unavailability of food in some areas.[28]

7.17In addition, stakeholders identified a range of other factors likely to impact on food security, including climate change.[29] Deakin University described the many ‘shocks and stressors’ impacting on access to food:

These include supply chain problems stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russian war on Ukraine and recent natural disasters such as floods across many of the nation’s most productive food-growing regions.[30]

7.18The impacts of food insecurity were significant and often cumulative. Dr Liesel Spencer submitted:

These manifestations of food insecurity are overlapping in that the people suffering long-term chronic food insecurity are even more vulnerable to crisis disruptions to food supply than the general population; their already precarious food situation is exacerbated by food system shocks.[31]

7.19Dr Spencer encouraged the Committee to view food insecurity from a public health perspective:

Food insecurity in Australia has distinct but overlapping forms: the chronic underlying food insecurity experienced by vulnerable population groups; and the crisis food insecurity resulting from short-term shocks to the food supply system, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, bushfires and floods.[32]

7.20Other stakeholders highlighted the impact of food security on physical and mental health. For example, Dr Scott McKeown, of the Tasmanian Department of Health, noted that definitions of food security or insecurity are ‘very important’ with connections to physical and mental health.[33] Dr McKeown commented:

It's a powerful social determinant of health, with health consequences for both adults and children, and the health impacts on children can be lifelong. Any policy, plan or program that addresses food security needs to have a clearly articulated goal, and its impact needs to be measured for success.[34]

7.21Similarly, the National Rural Health Alliance explained that while food insecurity is generally associated with low-income households, it can also be due to high food costs, poor nutrition literacy, difficulty in accessing fresh and nutritious food, difficulty in accessing food preparation and storage infrastructure, or poor or insecure transport links. It stated that food insecurity has a significant effect on both physical and mental health and wellbeing from infancy through to old age.[35]

7.22Further examples of the impact of food insecurity on health included:

• increased risk of elevated stress levels, anxiety and depression;
• smoking and drinking alcohol;
• malnutrition;
• consumption of low cost, energy-dense foods (high in fat and sugar) and carbohydrate-based meals;
• delayed child development; and
• consuming fewer plant-based foods and reducing portion size or skipping meals.
  23. The Committee heard that prolonged food insecurity can cause chronic diseases in later life including diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, hypertension, obesity, nutritional deficiencies, and poor mental health.[36]
  24. Women and children were identified as particularly vulnerable to food insecurity. Ms Keli McDonald, CEO, National Rural Women’s Coalition, told the Committee that food insecurity ‘affects women more than anyone else’:

…women will often go without a meal before they will let their partner or child go without a meal, or they will reduce their calorie intake when times are tough. It's also women that are having to go to the charities to get assistance.[37]

7.25A joint submission from the World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative and the Australian Breastfeeding Association (and others) observed that infants and young children in Australia are more likely to be food insecure. The submission explained that breastfeeding rates in Australia are ‘inadequate’ and lower than recommended standards.[38] The submission added:

The poorest and least resourced women are those most likely not to breastfeed or to breastfeed for the shortest duration, meaning that the food security risks their infants face applies not just to breastfeeding but also to the costs of feeding infant formula.[39]

7.26The Association’s stated that the food security of infants and young children is ‘commonly overlooked, notably in emergency and disaster planning.’[40]

7.27Ms Sharon McGann, of the Onkaparinga Food Security Collaborative, identified the health and social risks associated with food insecurity and children, stating:

If the child doesn't receive sufficient nutrition in the first thousand days, they're at risk of mental impairment, poor health, low productivity and even death. …we're concerned about the flow-on effects through education… and the health systems, and, sadly, the impacts on the justice system.[41]

7.28The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) acknowledged that some people experience ‘reduced’ food security, though maintained that ‘Australia is broadly a food-secure nation’. Ms Joanna Stanion, from DAFF, told the Committee:

This is generally not due to inadequate supplier produce but driven by social disadvantage and often inadequate incomes. At times temporary shortages for specific products reduce variety and can limit options for a nutritionally rich diet. We also acknowledge that food prices have increased over the last 18 months, and this is generally a result of supply chain disruptions, flooding and rising input costs. This can also impact food security, often for limited periods.[42]

Nutritional education and awareness

7.29Fundamental to food security in Australia is nutrition. Professor Rachel Burton, of the University of Adelaide, explained:

Food security is not just the amount of food we have; it's the nutritional value of the food that we have. We lose sight of that. It's not just mass; it's actual quality. Then that feeds into our health.[43]

7.30Similarly, Dr Sarina Kilham indicated that ‘simply meeting individual daily calorific count does not equate with food security because food security is a complex socioeconomic and biophysical phenomenon’.[44] Dr Patrick Hone, of the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, referred to the benefits of seafood and said that while Australia is arguably food secure, there is ‘certainly’ a food nutrition issue about getting fresh nutritious food that will make people healthy and live longer lives.[45]

7.31Evidence indicated that sub-optimal nutrition was an issue. The Australian Fresh Produce Alliance noted that ninety-six per cent of Australians ‘consume less than half of the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended daily intake of 400g of fruits and vegetables’.[46] Average seafood consumption was also below the recommended intake. Seafood Industry Australia stated:

The Australian Dietary Guidelines and Heart Foundation recommend eating two to three servings of fish (150-200grams) per week…but according to the last National Dietary Survey, only one in four of us reported eating fish at least once a week. International guidelines also consistently recommend consumption of at least two fish meals each week.

7.32Both a lack of access to fresh food and a lack of knowledge about nutrition were seen as barriers to good nutrition. Cardinia Shire, in Melbourne’s east, described how there are 397 agricultural businesses in the area producing food from among all dietary food groups.[47] Despite this, the Shire has been described as a ‘food swamp’, where access to ‘highly processed, nutrient poor food is significantly more accessible than nutritious food’.[48] In Cardinia Shire, ‘only 6% of adults and 4% of children consume the recommended amounts of fruit and vegetables each day’.[49] The Shire observed that most of its residents ‘are not consuming a nutritious diet that is consistent with positive health outcomes’.[50]

7.33Mr Matthew Rose, of OzHarvest, noted that access to nutritional food is one step and knowing how to prepare and cook the food can be a challenge.[51] He added:

Often we work with schoolchildren. … The other program we run is with disadvantaged communities. Often, we will run sessions with men at men's sheds. With men of a certain generation—I am going to generalise—perhaps their wives have passed away and they are coming in and getting involved… we're also talking to refugee communities… who are perhaps learning about what Australian produce is, and how to cook with and budget for Australian produce.[52]

7.34Professor Burton stated that nutritional education is ‘really important’, especially for children, who ‘need to know where their food comes from’.[53] Professor Burton added:

They need fundamental information about nutrition, and they need information that's correct, not misinformation… that has come off the internet. I think local is really important, and so is changing the expectation that you can have everything all the time. … It's seasonal eating and it's taking advantage of what's local.[54]

7.35Ms Natalie Stapleton, representing Dietitians Australia, said that education is needed ‘to improve health literacy and nutrition literacy around what is a healthy diet’. Ms Stapleton added that dietary guidelines were last issued in 2013.[55]

7.36Ms Emma Germano, President of the Victorian Farmers Federation, observed that nutritional levels in produce or ‘how we take care of our soil’ is not necessarily acknowledged, adding that ‘there is plenty of scientific evidence that suggests that the amount of nutrient in the food today is not the same as it was decades ago’.[56] Ms Germano stated that food is instead valued depending on whether it sells:

Often we get paid for things like how long the food lasts on the shelf and what it looks like. Perhaps this is not so relevant to a food security inquiry, but we even don't get paid on what it tastes like. We get paid by how long it's going to sit there in the supermarket and how long it can sit in a distribution centre…what we're facing is the potential for food insecurity and nutritional insecurity.[57]

7.37The Australian Fresh Produce Alliance recommended that government:

Better support household access to and the consumption of nutritious fresh produce… to create a healthier society, lower levels of preventative illness and disease in the population and relieve the pressure on future health budgets.[58]

7.38A critical gap in the improvement of health and nutrition was identified by several researchers. Dr Melissa Fitzgerald, of the University of Queensland, advised the Committee that current arrangements for research funding ‘does not allow food science and food technology to work with nutritionists’. Dr Fitzgerald explained that this is because food and nutrition could fall outside the scope of two key bodies that give research funding: the Australian Research Council (ARC) and the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).[59] Likewise, Professor Burton stated:

We have quite narrow grant opportunities in this country. There's the ARC, which is for everything apart from medical, and then there's the NHMRC. Being able to push money into that nexus between industry and research is going to be really important… and will help with that commercialisation and translation of what we're doing.[60]

Indigenous communities and remote areas

7.39The high costs and logistical challenges of transporting and distributing food to remote communities is contributing to food insecurity in Indigenous communities. The National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) referred to a 2013 estimate that up to 31% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experience food insecurity. It noted however that this figure is outdated and, due to underreporting, likely underrepresents the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experiencing some level of food insecurity.[61]

7.40NACCHO submitted that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people ‘disproportionately experience food insecurity’ especially in rural and remote communities.[62] It added that low household income is ‘compounded by high prices’, households could spend up to 50% of income on food, and ‘remote households dependent on inadequate government support payments are at a particular disadvantage’.[63] NACCHO stated that colonisation had restricted access to traditional foods rich in nutrients and encouraged energy-dense diets.[64]

Getting food to remote communities

7.41In 2020, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Indigenous Affairs conducted an inquiry into food pricing and food security in remote Indigenous communities. The inquiry made 16 recommendations and highlighted the following issues:

• Indigenous people living in remote communities continue to face significant challenges with food security;
• Food and grocery prices are consistently higher on average in remote areas than in the rest of the country;
• Most remote community stores operate in a difficult trading environment and cannot purchase at volumes that allow them to negotiate for better wholesale prices;
• The supply chains for food, particularly perishable food, into remote areas are costly, are often severely affected by seasonal weather conditions and the cold chain cannot be guaranteed causing food to spoil;
• Local food production through market gardens and other operations has had mixed success.[65]
  42. Several stakeholders asked the Committee to revisit and consider the outcomes of that inquiry, noting that these issues remain unresolved.[66] For example, the Arnhem Land Progress Aboriginal Corporation (ALPA; an Indigenous corporation operating community stores in East Arnhem Land) commented on the costs and challenges of using aircraft to move fresh produce into stores during the wet season, when roads could be closed for up to six months.[67] The ALPA observed how rising fuel prices continue to place pressure on supply chains:

As fuel continued to rise over 2022 we projected it would cost the business $365,000 in one quarter alone. At that point it was unsustainable to not pass on freight increases to the customer. We are now recouping 75% of the increased freight costs through increased prices.[68]

7.43The ALPA stated that ‘this ultimately means if the store is unable to afford the weekly flights in the wet season, community members have limited access to fresh fruit and vegetables. But they are guaranteed to receive their mail’.[69]

7.44Similar issues were raised by the Miwatj Health Aboriginal Corporation. It identified that ‘the unique geography and tropical climate facing communities in East Arnhem [Northern Territory] combined with issues of poverty and financial instability, causes high levels of food insecurity for Yolŋu across the region’.[70]

7.45Miwatj observed that food arrives on a barge from Darwin, taking around one week to arrive, reducing the shelf life of fresh produce and contributing to increased food prices.[71] The Committee heard about the added costs incurred when mangoes are picked in Darwin, sent to Adelaide to be processed and returned to supermarket shelves in Darwin.[72]

Overcoming food insecurity and supply challenges

7.46A range of possible solutions for improving food security in remote locations was identified in evidence. Many of these solutions stress the need for locally led programs in local languages.

7.47The CSIRO noted that ‘local food production systems, such as community gardens and urban agriculture can support remote communities access to fresh produce’.[73] It highlighted the potential of Indigenous food and indigenous-led food systems to support health and nutrition across the country. However the CSIRO noted that governance and financial challenges will need to be addressed to ensure the durability and scaling of such initiatives. The CSIRO explained that co-designing products, services and policy solutions with communities will be necessary to ensure suitability and uptake of context-specific solutions which have co-benefits for both population and planetary health.[74]

7.48NACCHO also identified local programs as critical to ensuring healthy eating messages are designed and delivered in a culturally appropriate way. It suggested that community-wide nutrition promotion should be undertaken through the use of local language, cook-ups, group education, hunting trips and education on traditional foods to children in schools with Elders.[75] Specifically NACCHO stated:

Developing cooking skills and health literacy in young Aboriginal people is vital. Education and youth services should work closely together to educate and develop young Aboriginal people’s cooking skills and appreciation for healthy eating. These promotional programs should aim to be led by Aboriginal people using local languages.[76]

7.49Similarly, Naomi Lacey, of Community Gardens Australia, said that gardens in remote Indigenous communities could have a ‘huge impact’ on the quality of food available.[77] Ms Lacey observed, however, that the success of the gardens tended to rely on the goodwill and enthusiasm of a couple of people coming into the community, encouraging the local community to be a part of it, and teaching them how to cook. When that person decides to move on, the garden collapses.[78] Ms Lacey said that with ‘proper support and training given to the local community’ outcomes could improve, but funding and support hasn't been there.[79]

7.50The Regional Food Security Alliance also submitted that:

Local community ownership of the food system enables better adaptation to local conditions and responsiveness to changes in those conditions whether transient or longer term. Resilience is strongest when we have networks of local food production and local food warehousing and distribution backed up from other localised food networks. Distributed food system models create community wealth as money is spent locally and retained in the community.[80]

7.51The Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory (AMSANT) proposed a range of measures to improve food security in remote communities. Dr Elizabeth Moore, Public Health Manager with AMSANT, recommended ‘healthy food subsidies in very remote areas, funded through a national 20 per cent sugar tax’.[81] Dr Moore also suggested:

• Improving the Centrelink remote allowance.
• Strengthening governance of community-controlled stores.
• Ensuring access to safe potable water that meets national standards and affordable power so that people can store and cook food.
• Addressing high rates of energy disconnection, which causes loss of stored food.
• Reducing overcrowding and ensuring that households have the capacity to store and cook food safely.
• Supporting access to traditional food and local food production.
• Investing in local stores, recognising their role as an essential service and encouraging them to be health-promoting stores that support healthy choices.
• Working to reduce the cost of food, including to small community stores, including through bulk-purchasing agreements and storage facilities located in remote regions.
• Developing an Aboriginal community-based workforce focused on healthy food and nutrition supported by nutritionists and dietitians based in Aboriginal primary health care and other public health staff.
• Having community and residential services funded to support healthy food options.[82]
  52. Mr Coryn Tambling, Food Security Consultant with AMSANT, also suggested:
• Increasing natural resource and cultural resource management activity.
• Investment into land and sea management programs, including traditional food resource mapping and planning for sustainable traditional food harvests.
• Community participation in on-country traditional food harvesting activities.
• Participation in and maintenance of traditional knowledge systems and connectedness to country.
• The development of scientific and educational resources and recordings of traditional food items, seasons, uses, harvesting, hunting and gathering, and food preparation techniques in Indigenous language and English.
• Funding to ensure that traditional food sources are protected and maintained,
• Community led and controlled local food production and harvesting of traditional foods.
• Open grant opportunities and investment in community controlled primary industries, facilities, programs and food suppliers to provide economic opportunities for remote communities to harvest traditional foods for community consumption and sale to both local and national markets.
• Funding for training linked to animal and plant-based agriculture, horticulture, aquaculture et cetera; the development of a traditional food knowledge and practices network.
• Maintenance of traditional food knowledge and nutritional promotional activities that support access to traditional foods, nutrition education and knowledge sharing.[83]
  53. The importance of community stores was highlighted by several stakeholders. AMSANT stated that community stores provided an essential service to their communities and should be recognised and supported in the provision of these services.[84] NACCHO recommended that the Australian Government subsidise community stores in remote locations, ‘to compensate for their high overheads’.[85] ALPA recommended that ‘the Remote Air Services Subsidy Scheme (RASS) prioritise the delivery of fresh fruit and vegetables into wet-season impacted communities, at sufficient quantities’.[86]
  54. Food technology has a potential role to play in improving food security in remote communities. Dr Warren Hunt, Project Manager with the Northern Australia Food Technology Innovation Project at Charles Darwin University, discussed the potential benefits of shelf stable foods. Dr Hunt stated:

Shelf-stable foods are those foods that have been containerised, treated and sterilised to a point where they can be handled and be stored at ambient temperature. … This has enormous utility with regard to our northern regions… We… have food access issues here in the north with regard to climatic conditions throughout the wet season. There are extended lines of supply for food that are 3,000 or 4,000 kilometres long.[87]

Responses to food insecurity

7.55The Committee received extensive evidence on possible solutions to food insecurity more generally. Many of these responses are linked to themes and issues discussed elsewhere in this report, such as the potential effects of climate change (see Chapter 6). Responses discussed below include community projects and institutions as food procurers and distributors.

Community projects

7.56Ms Naomi Lacey, of Community Gardens Australia, said that urban agriculture and community gardens ‘provide a really good opportunity to help alleviate food insecurity’.[88] Ms Lacey told the Committee:

We are teaching people how to grow food… how to cook… how they can grow food in very small spaces. That might not be all the food that they need for their family and for their household, but it can be quite a significant proportion of it.[89]

7.57Professor Danielle Gallegos, representing the Public Health Association of Australia, advised that Victorian local governments have been creating food hubs:

They are co-designing food hubs with members of the community so that people are having a say in what their local food system looks like, how it is enacted and what access to food they have. It's embracing community members and listening to their voices and their ideas and putting them into play.[90]

7.58Ms Jane Adams, Chairperson of the Australian Farmers Markets Association, suggested greater ‘connectivity between farmers markets, food hubs, food rescue, community gardens and school gardens’ and ‘integrative policy settings’ across health, nutrition, regional development and environmental planning. ‘All these things come together when you look at the total foodscape,’ Ms Adams explained.[91]

Institutions

7.59Institutional food procurement has a role in promoting food security in the community. Ms Pieta Bucello, of Cardinia Shire Council, suggested that institutional food procurers could provide opportunities to local food producers and ‘help strengthen those local food systems’.[92] Ms Leah Galvin highlighted the success of institutional food procurement models in Denmark and the United Kingdom, but noted that change depended on prioritising local food sources.[93] Ms Galvin explained:

Any system that you create, including through procurement or others, and any changes you create in the food system that build resilience and self-sufficiency in a region or state are most certainly about achieving food security. It has an impact on supply. It also has an impact potentially on production and foods grown in local regions. I certainly observed that in the models I saw. There was a lot of cooperation between institutions and farmers on the kind of food they want to produce.[94]

7.60Dr Scott McKeown, of the Tasmanian Department of Health, drew attention to meals being provided at school canteens:

When we can get decisions that are good for the producer, that are good for human health and that are good for the climate, we can have our best impact. A practical example of such a program with co-benefits is the School Lunch Project, which is funded by the Tasmanian government and is managed by School Food Matters within Tasmania.[95]

7.61The Tasmanian Government noted that early evaluation had shown the program is valued across the school community with a positive effect on behaviour and attendance, with most parents valuing the program and some willing to pay for it.[96]

Committee comment

7.62While Australia produces more than enough food to feed everyone, many Australian households are food insecure, going without adequate food and nutrition. Food security must also mean nutritional security. Evidence to the Committee highlighted the public health implications and impacts of food insecurity in Australia and the potential cost of failing to address food and nutritional security.

7.63Addressing food insecurity begins with having a clear understanding of its prevalence. More work is needed to monitor and measure the extent of food insecurity. The Committee supports improved data collection through surveying households using the model provided by the United States Department of Agriculture Household Food Security Survey Module.

7.64The causes of food insecurity are complex. Part of the comprehensive National Food Plan should be to identify and address the causes of food insecurity across the food system. The focus should be on ensuring that everyone has access to nutritious food on an ongoing basis in accordance with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Administration’s definition of food security.

7.65Part of the solution is ensuring community access to nutritious food. Community gardens, urban farms, food hubs and institutional procurement founded on local procurement are all part of the solution. The provision of school meals is a critical element of nutritional security, ensuring that regardless of personal circumstances children get adequate meals. The Committee acknowledges the work currently being undertaken in Tasmania to assess and expand school meal programs. This could provide a model for the entire nation.

7.66Another aspect of food security is education on food and nutrition, including the development of food preparation skills. This should be an integral part of school education. The Committee supports the development of a school curriculum for food and nutrition education, including the universal development of basic cooking skills. An example of such a program is the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program.

7.67The Committee acknowledges the concerns raised around the difficulties in accessing research funding for projects that cross the boundaries between food, health and nutrition under the funding streams administered by the Australian Research Council and the National Health and Medical Research Council. The Committee supports the development of protocols for cross funding research.

7.68Food security in remote communities is a particular challenge, especially in Australia’s north. Distance, transport costs, storage facilities or lack thereof, and weather, can all affect the cost and availability of food. Prices in turn impact affordability. The Committee is aware that there are no easy solutions to these problems. The key elements need to be a combination of greater support in facilitating year-round access to food while supporting the capacity of remote communities to feed themselves. The Committee proposes that the Australian Government:

• Recognize the special circumstances of remote communities, including Indigenous communities, in the food supply chain.
• Make provision for a more decentralised model of distribution in regions containing remote communities.
• Acknowledge community stores as an essential community service.
• Provide subsidies for community stores in remote locations so they can provide fresh food in regular quantities at an affordable price.
• Amend the funding and governance of the Remote Air Services Subsidy Scheme to prioritise the efficient and affordable delivery of fresh fruit and vegetable to wet-season impacted communities.

7.69The Committee recommends that the Australian Government conducts surveys of household food insecurity every 3 years using the United States Department of Agriculture Household Food Security Survey Module (HFSSM) as a model.

7.70The Committee recommends that the Australian Government, in conjunction with the State and Territory Governments, develop a school curriculum for food and nutrition education, including the universal development of basic cooking skills.

7.71The Committee recommends that the Australian Government, in conjunction with the State and Territory Governments, consider the feasibility of introducing a schools meals program.

7.72The Committee recommends that the Australian Government develops protocols that allow the Australian Research Council and the National Health and Medical Research Council to cross fund research examining food, health and nutrition.

7.73The Committee recommends that as part of the development of a National Food Plan, the Australian Government facilitate the development of:

• Improved nutritional and dietary guidance.
• Community projects designed to improve localised food systems and food security.
• Supply networks aimed at local production, procurement, distribution and sale of fresh and nutritious food, especially by institutions such as hospitals, aged-care facilities and schools.
• Programs aimed to educate groups within communities about affordable, options to access (or grow), prepare, cook and share nutritious food.

7.74The Committee recommends that as part of the development of a National Food Plan, the Australian Government:

• Recognize the special circumstances of remote communities, including Indigenous communities, in the food supply chain.
• Make provision for a more decentralised model of distribution in regions containing remote communities.
• Acknowledge community stores as an essential community service.
• Provide subsidies for community stores in remote locations so they can provide fresh food in regular quantities at an affordable price.
• Amend the funding and governance of the Remote Air Services Subsidy Scheme to prioritise the efficient and affordable delivery of fresh fruit and vegetable to wet-season impacted communities.

7.75The Committee recommends that the Australian Government assess progress towards implementing the recommendations made in the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Indigenous Affairs’ 2020 report on food pricing and food security in remote Indigenous communities.

Meryl Swanson MP

Chair’

16 November 2023

Footnotes

[1]Menzies Centre for Health Governance, Submission 41, p. 1; Queensland University of Technology, Submission 69, p. 1.

[2]Professor Danielle Gallegos, Subject Matter Expert, Food and Nutrition Special Interest Group, Public Health Association of Australia, Committee Hansard, 2 June 2023, p. 25.

[3]Food and Agriculture Organization, Hunger and Food Insecurity, <https://www.fao.org/hunger/en/>. Accessed 21 September 2023; see also Dr Scott McKeown, Deputy Director, Public Health, Public Health Services, Tasmanian Department of Health, Committee Hansard, 12 April 2023, p. 4.

[4]Food and Agriculture Organization, Hunger and Food Insecurity, <https://www.fao.org/hunger/en/>. Accessed 21 September 2023.

[5]United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service, ‘Definitions of Food Security’ at <https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-u-s/definitions-of-food-security/>. Accessed 20 September 2023.

[6]Dr Amy Carrad, Submission 29, p. 5; see also, Public Health Association of Australia, Submission 58, p. 4.

[7]Rebekah Clancy, Nutrition Team Leader and Public Health Nutritionist, Miwatj Health Aboriginal Corporation, Committee Hansard, 27 July 2023, p. 15.

[8]Rebekah Clancy, Nutrition Team Leader and Public Health Nutritionist, Miwatj Health Aboriginal Corporation, Committee Hansard, 27 July 2023, p. 15; see also Dr Amy Carrad, Submission 29, p. 5.

[9]OzHarvest, Submission 40, p. 7.

[10]See for example: National Rural Women’s Coalition, Submission 20, p. 4; OzHarvest, Submission 40, p. 3; Fair Food WA, Submission 62, p. 4.

[11]Foodbank Australia, Submission 24, p. 3.

[12]Foodbank Australia, Submission 24, p. 12.

[13]Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance, Submission 147, p. 32.

[14]Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australian Health Survey: Nutrition - State and Territory results, <Australian Health Survey: Nutrition - State and Territory results, 2011-12 financial year | Australian Bureau of Statistics (abs.gov.au)>. Accessed 16 October 2023.

[15]Ms Natalie Stapleton, General Manager, Advocacy and Policy, Dietitians Australia, Committee Hansard, 2 June 2023, p. 24.

[16]Dr Rachel Carey, Senior Lecturer in Food Systems, School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences, University of Melbourne, Committee Hansard, 4 August 2023, p. 8; see also UN Food and Agriculture Organization, <https://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/cc3017en>. Accessed 20 September 2023.

[17]University of Queensland, Submission 53, p. 6; Cancer Council Australia, Submission 56, p. 6.

[18]Dr Liesel Spencer, Submission 78, p. 9.

[19]Dr Amy Carrad, Submission 29, p. 5.

[20]Based on the United States Department of Agriculture Household Food Security survey module. Dr Amy Carrad, Submission 29, p. 6.

[21]Dietitians Australia, Submission 39, p. 3.

[22]George Institute for Global Health (Australia), Submission 43, p. 4.

[23]For example: Edith Cowan University, Submission 91, p. 1; Sustain, Submission 72, p. 10; Monash University, Submission 124, p. 9; Food Fairness Illawarra, Submission 145, p. 2; Australia’s Right to Food Coalition, Submission 148, pp. 5–6.

[24]The Community Grocer, Submission 45, p. 1.

[25]Australian Fresh Produce Alliance, Submission 135, p. 6.

[26]Darebin Information, Volunteer and Resource Service, Submission 33, p. 1; Penelope Clark, Submission 17, p. 1.

[27]National Retail Association, Submission 141, p. 4.

[28]National Retail Association, Submission 141, p. 4.

[29]National Rural Health Alliance, Submission 50, pp. 8, 12; Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, Submission 86, p. 4.

[30]Deakin University, Submission 31, p. 2.

[31]Dr Liesel Spencer, Submission 78, p. 2.

[32]Dr Liesel Spencer, Submission 78, p. 2.

[33]Dr Scott McKeown, Deputy Director, Public Health, Public Health Services, Tasmanian Department of Health, Committee Hansard, 12 April 2023, p. 2.

[34]Dr Scott McKeown, Deputy Director, Public Health, Public Health Services, Tasmanian Department of Health, Committee Hansard, 12 April 2023, p. 2.

[35]National Rural Health Alliance, Submission 50, p. 8.

[36]Public Health Association of Australia, Submission 58, p. 4; Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, Submission 86, p. 13; Tasmanian Government, Submission 102, p. 2; Diabetes Australia, Submission 104, p. 3; Dr Elizabeth Moore, Public Health Manager, Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory, Committee Hansard, 27 July 2023, pp. 13-14.

[37]Ms Keli McDonald, CEO, National Rural Women’s Coalition, Committee Hansard, 29 March 2023, p. 4.

[38]World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative and the Australian Breastfeeding Association (and others), Submission 164, p. 5.

[39]World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative and the Australian Breastfeeding Association (and others), Submission 164, p. 5.

[40]World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative and the Australian Breastfeeding Association (and others), Submission 164, p. 4.

[41]Ms Sharon McGann, Chair, Steering Group, Onkaparinga Food Security Collaborative, SA Food Systems Network, Committee Hansard, 20 April 2023, p. 8.

[42]Ms Joanna Stanion, First Assistant Secretary, Agricultural Policy Division, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Committee Hansard, 30 November 2022, p. 1.

[43]Professor Rachel Burton, Professor of Plant and Food Science, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, University of Adelaide, Committee Hansard, 20 April 2023, p. 6.

[44]Dr Sarina Kilham, Submission 63, p. 1.

[45]Dr Patrick Hone, Managing Director, Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, Committee Hansard, 26 May 2023, p. 1; see also Ms Veronica Papacosta, CEO, Seafood Industry Australia, Committee Hansard, 2 June 2023, p. 17.

[46]Australian Fresch Produce Alliance, Submission 135, p. 8.

[47]Cardinia Shire, Submission 46, p. 1.

[48]Cardinia Shire, Submission 46, p. 5.

[49]Cardinia Shire, Submission 46, p. 5.

[50]Cardinia Shire, Submission 46, p. 5; see also Professor Johannes le Coutre, Professor of Food and Health, University of New South Wales, Committee Hansard, 6 July 2023, p. 9.

[51]Mr Matthew Rose, Advocacy and Sustainability Lead, OzHarvest, Committee Hansard, 23 June 2023, p. 28.

[52]Mr Matthew Rose, Advocacy and Sustainability Lead, OzHarvest, Committee Hansard, 23 June 2023, p. 29.

[53]Professor Rachel Burton, Professor of Plant and Food Science, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, University of Adelaide, Committee Hansard, 20 April 2023, p. 6.

[54]Professor Rachel Burton, Professor of Plant and Food Science, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, University of Adelaide, Committee Hansard, 20 April 2023, p. 6.

[55]Ms Natalie Stapleton, General Manager, Advocacy and Policy, Dietitians Australia, Committee Hansard, 2 June 2023, p. 29.

[56]Ms Emma Germano, President, Victorian Farmers Federation, Committee Hansard, 9 August 2023, p. 2; see also Nicole Ford, CEO, Australian Organic Ltd, Committee Hansard, 10 July 2023, p. 49.

[57]Ms Emma Germano, President, Victorian Farmers Federation, Committee Hansard, 9 August 2023, p. 2.

[58]Australian Fresh Produce Alliance, Submission 135, p. 3.

[59]Dr Melissa Fitzgerald, Professor, School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability, University of Queensland, Committee Hansard, 10 July 2023, pp. 15, 17.

[60]Professor Rachel Burton, Professor of Plant and Food Science, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, University of Adelaide, Committee Hansard, 20 April 2023, p. 5.

[61]National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, Submission 113, p. 4.

[62]National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, Submission 113, p. 7.

[63]National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, Submission 113, p. 7.

[64]National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, Submission 113, p. 5.

[65]House of Representatives Standing Committee on Indigenous Affairs, Report on Food Pricing and Food Security in remote Indigenous Communities, November 2020, p. 3.

[66]For example: Ms Keli McDonald, CEO, National Rural Women’s Coalition, Committee Hansard, 29 March 2023, p. 2; Ms Clare Hughes, Chair, Nutrition, Alcohol and Physical Activity Committee, Cancer Council, Committee Hansard, 2 June 2023, p. 23; Ms Christine Hickey, General Manager, Retail, Arnhem Land Progress Aboriginal Corporation, Committee Hansard, 27 July 2023, p. 37.

[67]Arnhem Land Progress Aboriginal Corporation, Submission 144, p. 4; see also Mr Mickey Wunungmurra, Deputy Chairman, Board of Directors, Arnhem Land Progress Aboriginal Corporation, Committee Hansard, 27 July 2023, pp. 33–4.

[68]Arnhem Land Progress Aboriginal Corporation, Submission 144, p. 5.

[69]Arnhem Land Progress Aboriginal Corporation, Submission 144, p. 5.

[70]Miwatj Health Aboriginal Corporation, Submission 65, p. 12.

[71]Miwatj Health Aboriginal Corporation, Submission 65, p. 2.

[72]Open Food Network Australia, Submission 74, p. 6.

[73]CSIRO, Submission 149, p. 5.

[74]CSIRO, Submission 149, p. 5.

[75]National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, Submission 113, p. 6.

[76]National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, Submission 113, p. 6.

[77]Ms Naomi Lacey, President, Community Gardens Australia, Committee Hansard, 27 July 2023, p. 9.

[78]Ms Naomi Lacey, President, Community Gardens Australia, Committee Hansard, 27 July 2023, p. 9.

[79]Ms Naomi Lacey, President, Community Gardens Australia, Committee Hansard, 27 July 2023, p. 9.

[80]Regional Food Security Alliance, Submission 184, p. 3.

[81]Dr Elizabeth Moore, Public Health Manager, Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory, Committee Hansard, 27 July 2023, p. 14.

[82]Dr Elizabeth Moore, Public Health Manager, Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory, Committee Hansard, 27 July 2023, p. 14.

[83]Mr Coryn Tambling, Food Security Consultant, Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory, Committee Hansard, 27 July 2023, pp. 16-17.

[84]Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory, Submission 73, pp. 1, 9.

[85]National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, Submission 113, p. 7.

[86]Arnhem Land Progress Aboriginal Corporation, Submission 144, p. 7.

[87]Dr Warren Hunt, Project Manager, Northern Australia Food Technology Innovation Project, Charles Darwin University, Committee Hansard, 27 July 2023, p. 26.

[88]Ms Naomi Lacey, President, Community Gardens Australia, Committee Hansard, 27 July 2023, p. 7.

[89]Ms Naomi Lacey, President, Community Gardens Australia, Committee Hansard, 27 July 2023, p. 7.

[90]Professor Danielle Gallegos, Subject Matter Expert, Food and Nutrition Special Interest Group, Public Health Association of Australia, Committee Hansard, 2 June 2023, p 26; see also Ms Pieta Bucello, Coordinator, Health and Social Planning, Cardinia Shire Council, Committee Hansard, 11 August 2023, p. 8.

[91]Ms Jane Adams, Chairperson, Australian Farmers Markets Association, Committee Hansard, 16 June 2023, p. 24.

[92]Ms Pieta Bucello, Coordinator, Health and Social Planning, Cardinia Shire Council, Committee Hansard, 11 August 2023, p. 9.

[93]Ms Leah Galvin, private capacity, Committee Hansard, pp. 7–8.

[94]Ms Leah Galvin, private capacity, Committee Hansard, p. 9.

[95]Dr Scott McKeown, Deputy Director, Public Health, Public Health Services, Tasmanian Department of Health, Committee Hansard, 12 April 2023, p. 2.

[96]Tasmanian Government, Submission 102, p. 7.