A scoping review of the social dimensions in food insecurity and poverty assessments

Abstract

Food poverty is a phenomenon that is currently receiving increasing social attention in both the Global South and the Global North. It is often equated with food insecurity, for which numerous assessment tools and reports exist. However, only limited specific data can be found on food poverty. Starting from a theoretical concept of food poverty, this article examines in a scoping review which dimensions of food poverty are captured by indices and indicators of food insecurity and general poverty assessments. The review focuses particularly on the social dimension of food poverty and points out that it is under-reported and that no adequate assessment tools exist so far. Existing indices and indicators of food insecurity and general poverty assessments are critically reviewed and suggestions for the assessment of social food poverty for policy and practice derived.

Nexuses between Food, Energy, and Water Consumption on Urban-Rural Income Gap in South-Eastern Asian Countries Using Difference in Difference in Modelling Technique

“…Mota et al (2019) established that households with large family sizes who cannot read and write are more likely to be food insecure than their counterparts. Thus, food insecurity can lead to poverty by reducing human capital, productivity, and income (Bartelmeß et al, 2022). Therefore, addressing food insecurity is not only a matter of ensuring adequate food supply but also a matter of enhancing opportunities and empowerment.…”

Exploring food poverty experiences in the German Twitter-Sphere

“…Deductive qualitative analysis allows emerging themes to be linked to theory so that the insights gained can fill gaps in current understanding of a particular theme [61], such as patterns and characteristics of the dimensions of material and social food poverty. The initial categories included the material (economic, physiological, physical, and hygienic) and social (social, cultural, and psychological) subdimensions of food poverty [8,19]. In addition, we coded the data inductively based on the themes that emerged from the tweets, which resulted in a refinement of the deductive codes and additional main codes.…”

“…Specifically focusing on the economic subdimension of food poverty, the study's findings underscored its substantial representation in Twitter discussions, highlighting the inadequacy of financial resources for accessing food. These financial constraints, essential in statistical assessments of food insecurity, often lead to one-dimensional conclusions about dietary behaviours in poverty, emphasizing disparities in dietary practices among individuals of varying economic statuses [8,64]. However, the discussions within the economic dimension unveiled the intricate dynamics driven by constrained financial means, shedding light on how such constraints impact various aspects of food procurement and daily life.…”

“…Conversely, the physical subdimension of food poverty was notably underrepresented, both in German poverty and nutrition research and in the analysed tweets [8]. Key topics included issues such as insufficient food supply from rural food banks and expressions of gratitude when individuals had access to gardens for food production.…”

“…Various factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic, rising energy and food prices resulting from the Russian invasion of Ukraine, supply chain disruptions, and subsequent increases in food prices and inflation, may have exacerbated the situation [5][6][7]. These significant price increases primarily affect low-income and povertyvulnerable demographic groups and resulting financial constraints have immediate repercussions on dietary patterns and health as nutrition research consistently highlights [8]. But even households with income levels exceeding 60% of the median equivalized income faced material deprivation in terms of nutrition at a rate of nearly 10% in 2022 [3].…”