Food Insecurity and Hunger in Rich Countries—It Is Time for Action against Inequality

Abstract

Household food insecurity is a serious public health concern in rich countries with developed economies closely associated with inequality. The prevalence of household food insecurity is relatively high in some developed countries, ranging from 8 to 20% of the population. Human rights approaches have the potential to address the structural causes, not just the symptoms of food insecurity. Despite most developed countries ratifying the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights over 40 years ago, food insecurity rates suggest current social protections are inadequate. The contemporary framing of the solution to food insecurity in developed countries is that of diverting food waste to the hungry to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals agenda (Goals 2 and 12.3). An estimated 60 million people or 7.2% of the population in high income countries used food banks in 2013. Although providing food assistance to those who are hungry is an important strategy, the current focus distracts attention away from the ineffectiveness of government policies in addressing the social determinants of food insecurity. Much of the action needed to improve household food security falls to actors outside the health sector. There is evidence of promising actions to address the social determinants of food insecurity in some developed countries. Learning from these, there is a strong case for government leadership, for action within and across government, and effective engagement with other sectors to deliver a coordinated, collaborative, and cooperative response to finding pathways out of food insecurity.

Food Insecurity and Socioeconomic Disadvantage in Australia

“…Food insecurity in developed countries is often driven by the increasing cost of food [12] and several practitioners have called for increased study into the monetary and time costs of maintaining a healthy diet in Australia, including variations between States and Territories and between urban and regional/remote areas [37][38][39][40]. There are substantial inequalities in the costs of maintaining an acceptable diet between those facing hardship and more affluent people; relative to households with middle or high income, those facing hardship spend less money but a larger proportion of household budget on food, and spend more time preparing and cooking food, but less time eating [24,39].…”

Measuring Food Insecurity Using the Food Abundance Index: Implications for Economic, Health and Social Well-Being

“…Food insecurity has been identified as a significant health and nutrition issue within the United States and globally [4][5][6]. High food insecurity has been associated with key health outcomes, such as risk factors for children's health and educational outcomes [7], long-term adverse consequences for overall health of children [8], maternal depression and health status [9], mental health conditions [10], subsequent weight gain [11], poor sleep outcomes [12], chronic disease [13], and suicide ideation [14].…”

Using critical discourse analysis and the concept of food security to understand pregnant women’s nutrition in Aotearoa/New Zealand

“…While Aotearoa/New Zealand (Aotearoa) is widely recognised as a wealthy developed nation, with a growing economy and a high level of food exports, food insecurity is a rising concern (Graham, Stolte, Hodgetts, & Chamberlain, 2016;Pollard & Booth, 2019;Schlichting, Hashemi & Grant, 2019). Most recent available data highlight that 7.3% of Aotearoa households experience food insecurity (Graham & Jackson, 2017).…”