The Tasmania Project Food and Food Purchasing Survey (TTP10) was open between December 2023 and January 2024. It measured food insecurity using a validated survey tool. Food insecurity is when people or households struggle to put enough healthy food on the table every day because of limited money or other resources. This is the fifth Tasmania Project survey that has reported the prevalence and severity of food insecurity experienced by Tasmanians since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. In response to anecdotal reports that emergency food relief needs have increased in Tasmania, TTP10 also explored whether people accessed emergency food relief and their experiences with these services

Kent, Katherine

Murray, Sandra

Seivwright, Ami

Visentin, Denis

English

Research Online

University of Wollongong Research Online Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: Part B Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health 2024 “There is no food bank I can access...”: Food Insecurity and Use of Emergency Food Relief in Tasmania Katherine Kent University of Wollongong, katherinek@uow.edu.au Ami Seivwright University of Tasmania Denis Visentin University of Tasmania Sandra Murray University of Tasmania Follow this and additional works at: https://ro.uow.edu.au/smhpapers1 Publication Details Citation Kent, K., Seivwright, A., Visentin, D., & Murray, S. (2024). “There is no food bank I can access...”: Food Insecurity and Use of Emergency Food Relief in Tasmania. Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: Part B. Retrieved from https://ro.uow.edu.au/smhpapers1/1825 Research Online is the open access institutional repository for the University of Wollongong. For further information contact the UOW Library: research-pubs@uow.edu.au “There is no food bank I can access...”: Food Insecurity and Use of Emergency Food Relief in Tasmania Abstract The Tasmania Project Food and Food Purchasing Survey (TTP10) was open between December 2023 and January 2024. It measured food insecurity using a validated survey tool. Food insecurity is when people or households struggle to put enough healthy food on the table every day because of limited money or other resources. This is the fifth Tasmania Project survey that has reported the prevalence and severity of food insecurity experienced by Tasmanians since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. In response to anecdotal reports that emergency food relief needs have increased in Tasmania, TTP10 also explored whether people accessed emergency food relief and their experiences with these services. Publication Details Kent, K., Seivwright, A., Visentin, D. & Murray, S. (2024). “There is no food bank I can access...”: Food Insecurity and Use of Emergency Food Relief in Tasmania. The Tasmania Project. This report is available at Research Online: https://ro.uow.edu.au/smhpapers1/1825   Photo by Julia M Cameron; Pexels              “There is no food bank I can access...”: Food Insecurity and Use of Emergency Food Relief in Tasmania  T H E  T A S M A N I A  P R O J E C T  R E P O R T  July 2024 | Prepared by: Katherine Kent1, Ami Seivwright2, Denis Visentin3, Sandra Murray3 1 School of Medical, Indigenous and Health Sciences, University of Wollongong 2 Institute for Social Change, University of Tasmania 3 School of Health Sciences, University of Tasmania Key findings The Tasmania Project Food and Food Purchasing Survey (TTP10) was open between December 2023 and January 2024. It measured food insecurity using a validated survey tool. Food insecurity is when people or households struggle to put enough healthy food on the table every day because of limited money or other resources. This is the fifth Tasmania Project survey that has reported the prevalence and severity of food insecurity experienced by Tasmanians since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. In response to anecdotal reports that emergency food relief needs have increased in Tasmania, TTP10 also explored whether people accessed emergency food relief and their experiences with these services. Our report shows:  High Prevalence of Food Insecurity: • 29% of adult respondents to TTP10 experienced food insecurity within the past 30 days. This includes 9% experiencing marginal food security, 12% moderate food insecurity, and 8% severe food insecurity. Children's Food Insecurity: • Among households with children, 28% reported some level of food insecurity for their children. Specifically, 16% of children experienced marginal food insecurity and 13% experienced moderate food insecurity. No children were reported to have severe food insecurity, indicating efforts to shield children from the worst impacts. Barriers to Accessing Emergency Food Relief: • Although 10% of respondents said they needed emergency food relief, only 4% accessed it. Common barriers included feeling that others needed help more, shame and fear of judgment, and lack of awareness of available services. These barriers emphasise the need for improved awareness, reduced stigma, and better access to food relief services.    S U R V E Y  M E T H O D S  Food Insecurity The Tasmania Project conducted a survey to measure the prevalence of food insecurity using the 18-item Household Food Security Survey Module (HFSSM). The survey results provide a crude estimate of food insecurity in Tasmania, using the Proof Canada coding system. Previous Tasmania Project Surveys have used the 6-item short form version of this tool. Importantly, the 18-item tool can measure the food insecurity experiences of children in addition to adults and the overall household.  A crude prevalence of food insecurity represents the overall percentage of respondents experiencing food insecurity in the respondents to the survey without adjustment for demographic factors like age, sex or region. This statistic is therefore not directly comparable to previous Tasmania Project reports which have weighted food insecurity prevalence statistics using age, sex, and region. Table 1 Proof Canada Coding for Food Security Status Status Interpretation Adult Scale (10 items) Child Scale (8 items) Food Secure No report of income-related problems of food access No items affirmed No items affirmed Marginally Food Insecure Some indication of worry or an income-related barrier to adequate, secure food access 1 affirmative response 1 affirmative response Moderately Food Insecure Compromise in quality and/or quantity of food consumed by adults and/or children due to a lack of money for food 2 to 5 affirmative responses 2 to 4 affirmative responses Severely Food Insecure Disrupted eating patterns and reduced food intake among adults and/or children 6 or more affirmative responses 5 or more affirmative responses Note: If a household meets the conditions of two different classifications (different status on the child and adult scales), the household is given the more severe classification. Emergency Food Relief Experience The survey used both closed-ended and open-ended questions data on the use and experiences with emergency food relief among Tasmanian residents.   T H E  P R E V A L E N C E  &  S E V E R I T Y  O F  F O O D  I N S E C U R I T Y   Figure 1 The crude prevalence of food insecurity in TTP10 survey respondents (n=858), and the severity of food insecurity experienced (marginal, moderate and severe food insecurity) The survey found 29% of adult respondents to TTP10 experienced food insecurity over the past 30 days. • 9% of respondents experienced marginal food security (anxiety over food or a shortage of food). • 12% of respondents had moderate food insecurity (reduced quality, variety, or desirability of food eaten). • 8% of respondents had severe food insecurity (regularly skipping meals and going hungry). C H I L D R E N ’ S  F O O D  I N S E C U R I T Y  E X P E R I E N C E  In some households facing food insecurity, efforts are made to protect children from its impacts. For the first time, TTP10 measured the experience of food insecurity among children (those aged under 18) in households. Among the 187 respondents who reported having children in their household, the breakdown of food security status of the children living in the household is as follows: • 72% of respondents reported their children were food secure. • 16% of respondents reported their children were marginally food insecure (anxiety over food or a shortage of food for children). • 13% of respondents reported their children were moderately food insecure (reduced quality, variety, or desirability of food eaten by children). • Notably, there were no respondents with children that reported their children experiencing severe food insecurity (regularly skipping meals and going hungry). 71%29%9%12%8%0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%Food Secure(n=613)Food Insecure(n=245)Marginally FoodInsecure (n=76)Moderately FoodInsecure (n=104)Severely FoodInsecure (n=65) Figure 2 The crude prevalence of food insecurity experienced by children by among TTP10 survey respondents with children in the household (n=187), and the severity of food insecurity experienced (marginal, moderate, and severe food insecurity)  E X P E R I E N C E S  W I T H  E M E R G E N C Y  F O O D  R E L I E F  Most of our survey respondents (90%) reported that they did not attempt to access food relief over the past 12 months. A further 6% said they needed but did not access it, and 4% needed and accessed food relief.  Table 2 Interaction with Emergency Food Relief over the past 12 months  Frequency Percent I have not attempted to access food relief 778 90% I have needed but not accessed food relief 50 6% I have needed and accessed food relief 32 4%  Many of the individuals who reported needing, but not accessing, food relief cited significant barriers. The most common reasons included feeling that others needed assistance more (86%), feelings of shame about seeking help (52%), and concerns about being judged by service providers (34%). Additionally, a lack of awareness about available services (32%), uncertainty about eligibility (32%), and fears about how seeking help might impact other aspects of their lives (16%) were prevalent. A smaller proportion mentioned the absence of nearby services as a barrier (12%). These findings underscore the diverse challenges—emotional, social, and logistical—that prevent individuals from accessing essential food relief despite their acknowledged need. 72%28%16%13%0%0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%Food Secure(n=134)Food Insecure(n=53)Marginally FoodInsecure (n=29)Moderately FoodInsecure (n=24)Severely FoodInsecure (n=0) Figure 3 Barriers to accessing food relief among individuals who reported needing but did not access assistance in the TTP10 survey (n=50) In open-ended responses describing their experiences accessing food relief, some participants shared specific frustrations, including the embarrassment of using vouchers at familiar local shops, inadequate financial assistance amounts, and restrictive policies on accessing multiple sources of help. One participant said:  “It doesn't help me hearing charity can't afford to help me... I can only go to 1 charity, not permitted to ask for help with more than 1 so I have no idea if I could get more help elsewhere…” Additionally, there were calls for more streamlined processes, clearer information on access procedures, and greater availability of support. When asked to describe the barriers in accessing food relief, one respondent said:  “I live in a small town. I am a private person and don't want to be gossiped about”. Another said they needed help, but were not “eligible”: “I did look into it but am not eligible for food relief near me because I'm not on Centrelink.”  86%52%34%32%32%16%12%0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%I felt that other people needed food relief more thanmeI felt too ashamed to seek food reliefI worried about being judged by service staffI didn't know what services were available to meI did not know if I was eligible for food reliefI worried about it affecting other areas of my life (e.g.,my workplace finding out, access to my children beingjeopardised)There were no services close to meAnother reported that local help was not available to them in their rural town:  “There is no foodbank I can access; they are all over 200k away.” A significant majority of those who accessed food relief (n=32) had positive experiences, with 28% describing their experience as very positive and 47% as positive. Only a small proportion reported a negative experience (6%), while 19% felt neither positive nor negative about their interaction with food relief services.  Figure 4 Summary of experiences accessing food relief among individuals who reported needing and accessing assistance. In describing what made their experiences positive, respondents commonly mentioned not feeling judged, the kindness of staff, the appropriateness of the food provided, and general relief at receiving assistance.  One respondent said: "Non-judgmental and kind staff who made experience less demeaning." Community support and interactions were also crucial in fostering a sense of belonging and solidarity. Another participant said: 28%47%19%6%Very positive Positive Neither positive nor negative Negative"Our small town supports those in need. I never felt judged when receiving help."  Practical aspects such as the provision of sufficient and appropriate food items enhanced positive experiences: "There was no judgement from staff, they took into consideration the age of my children and gave us sufficient and appropriate food items and frozen meals." Additionally, personal involvement in volunteering activities empowered individuals, while overall gratitude expressed for the existence of these services: "I volunteered at the local neighbourhood house and helped pack and deliver the food packages so when I took my food pack, I felt like I earned it and wasn't getting a 'free ride'."  Another participant said: "I’m glad it exists !!!!" W H E R E  N E X T ?  These findings provide valuable insights into the prevalence of food insecurity and the factors influencing access to food relief among Tasmanian residents, pointing towards potential areas for policy intervention and community support initiatives. The survey highlights significant levels of food insecurity among Tasmanian households including for the first time, the experience of children in Tasmania. Despite the high prevalence of food insecurity, relatively few respondents accessed food relief, including many who were aware that they needed it. Immediate measures should focus on improving awareness of and access to food relief services, reducing stigma associated with seeking assistance, and ensuring these services meet the specific needs of families with children and other diverse community groups.  Long-term strategies should include the adequate funding of of community-based solutions such as school meal programs, community gardens, and local food production initiatives to increase the availability of fresh and affordable produce. Empowering communities to strengthen local food networks and produce their own food can foster greater food security and resilience. 

“There is no food bank I can access...”: Food Insecurity and Use of Emergency Food Relief in Tasmania

https://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2859&context=smhpapers1

“There is no food bank I can access...”: Food Insecurity and Use of Emergency Food Relief in Tasmania

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