Exploring The Response Of The Victorian Emergency And Community Food Sector To The COVID-19 Pandemic

McKay, Fiona H.; Bastian, Amber; Lindberg, Rebecca

doi:10.1080/19320248.2021.1900974

Cited by 13 publications

(72 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…40,41,43,45 Foodbank, 45 a major food relief organisation, reported a 61% increase in Australians accessing food relief since COVID-19 with 31% seeking food relief at least once a week in 2020 compared to 15% in 2019 with similar findings from two other studies. 40,41 Onethird of previous food relief recipients opted not to access food relief during the pandemic and food insecure people and families did not always access relief when needed. 40,41,48 COVID-19 also necessitated changes to operations by emergency providers that included closures during lockdowns, reducing operating hours, phone assessments and providing take-away to minimise social interaction while serving more people.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 70%

“…41 Many food relief agencies reported difficulties in sourcing quality foods (55%), foods for special dietary requirements (29%) and cultural groups (23%). 40,41 Table 2 also shows the factors influencing the changes in food security status during the pandemic which included government restrictions, changes to food suppliers and supply logistics, fear of COVID-19 transmission, product limits, COVID-related job and income changes, cost of living, receiving government financial support, difficulties accessing welfare or food relief, and stigma associated with food banks. [40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48] Changes in employments such as becoming retrenched, unemployed or having reduced work hours, and income changes appeared to be major drivers of food insecurity during COVID-19.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The effects of the COVID‐19 pandemic on food security in Australia: A scoping review

Louie

Shi

Allman‐Farinelli

2022

Nutrition & Dietetics

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The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the Australian food supply with potential ramifications on food security. This scoping review aimed to synthesise current evidence on the prevalence of food insecurity and changes to factors related to food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia.Methods: A comprehensive search strategy was used to search seven databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, Global Health, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, PsycINFO, Informit Online) and Google Scholar. Included studies were written in English, published in 2020-2021 and examined food security status in Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic and/or factors associated with food insecurity in free-living Australian residents. Articles with participants residing in institutional settings, where meals were supplied, were excluded. Results: A total of 700 records were identified from database, grey literature and hand searching, and nine articles were included. All studies indicated that the prevalence of food insecurity had increased due to negative changes to food availability, accessibility, usability and stability. The downturn in employment and economic circumstances following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic appeared to create a new group of food-insecure Australians consisting of newly unemployed, and international students. Conclusion: COVID-19 has exacerbated vulnerabilities in the Australian food supply and food security. Suggested actions include ongoing data collection on the long-term impact of COVID-19 on food supply and security in addition to coordinated national and community responses that improve the stability of the local food supply and address underlying determinants of food insecurity.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 70%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effects of the COVID‐19 pandemic on food security in Australia: A scoping review

Louie

Shi

Allman‐Farinelli

2022

Nutrition & Dietetics

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Non-pharmaceutical interventions during the pandemic involving restrictions in mobility have increased the friction of travel, in particular by transit on which low income populations are more reliant (e.g., DeWeese et al, 2020 ). At the same time, the pandemic has created additional stress for the operators of food banks through disruptions in the supply chain (e.g., McKay et al, 2021 ) as well as concerns surrounding the delivery of service in safe conditions and possible cancellation of food service programs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in accessibility to emergency and community food services during COVID-19 and implications for low income populations in Hamilton, Ontario

Higgins

Páez

Kim

et al. 2021

Social Science & Medicine

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In this paper we analyze the changes in accessibility to emergency and community food services before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in the City of Hamilton, Ontario. Many of these food services are the last line of support for households facing food insecurity; as such, their relevance cannot be ignored in the midst of the economic upheaval caused by the pandemic. Our analysis is based on the application of balanced floating catchment areas and concentrates on households with lower incomes (

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“…The unique context of COVID-19 amplified the risk of food insecurity for those already at risk and created new demographics of food stress [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 ]. The economic impacts of COVID-19 and social isolation measures resulted in novel cohorts of people that suddenly found themselves at risk of food stress and food insecurity [ 13 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Subsequently, food insecurity in these groups reduced as they were able to afford food and other basic living costs. However, some new cohorts emerged, including international students [ 19 , 20 ] temporary visa holders, as they were ineligible for government support [ 12 ] and people impacted by natural disasters.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using the Food Stress Index for Emergency Food Assistance: An Australian Case Series Analysis during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Natural Disasters

Pollard

Landrigan

Gray

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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Food insecurity increases with human and natural disasters. Two tools were developed to assist effective food relief in Western Australia: the Food Stress Index (similar to rental stress, predicts the likelihood of household food insecurity by geographic location) and a basic and nutritious Food Basket Recommendation (that quantifies the types and amounts of food to meet dietary recommendations for different family types). This study aims to understand and compare the processes and impact of using these tools for organisations and their clients involved in emergency food assistance and/or disaster preparedness. A multiple case-study design analysed organisation’s use of the tools to assist the response to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and the catastrophic bushfires in Australia. Qualitative interviews were conducted by telephone and Zoom (a cloud-based video conferencing service) in July–August 2020. A purposeful sample of eight interviewees representing seven cases (government, food relief and community organisations involved in emergency food assistance and/or disaster preparedness). Three themes emerged from the analysis, (1) organisations are confident users of the tools; (2) Collaborations were “Ready to Go” and (3) Food Stress Index is a “game changer”. Findings demonstrate the intrinsic value of the tools in the provision of emergency food relief under both normal circumstances and in times of increased need, i.e., COVID-19 pandemic. The study highlights the value and importance of ongoing intersectoral collaborations for food relief and food security (e.g., the Western Australian Food Relief Framework) and suggests that upscaling of the Food Stress Index and food baskets will increase the effectiveness of measures to address food insecurity in Australia.

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Exploring The Response Of The Victorian Emergency And Community Food Sector To The COVID-19 Pandemic

Cited by 13 publications

References 15 publications

The effects of the COVID‐19 pandemic on food security in Australia: A scoping review

The effects of the COVID‐19 pandemic on food security in Australia: A scoping review

Changes in accessibility to emergency and community food services during COVID-19 and implications for low income populations in Hamilton, Ontario

Using the Food Stress Index for Emergency Food Assistance: An Australian Case Series Analysis during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Natural Disasters

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