The surprising statistics about hunger here in Australia

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16th Oct 2019

Most of the stories we read about food focus on what to eat, what not to eat or when to eat and when to fast. Or the superfoods we really just can’t live without.

But not everyone has the luxury of choosing their food or even three meals a day. This week, Foodbank’s 2019 Hunger Report revealed that more than one in five Australians (21 per cent or five million people) have experienced food insecurity in the last 12 months – meaning they have been in a situation where they have run out of food and been unable to buy more.

“At least once a week, around half of food insecure people skip a meal (55 per cent) or cut down on the size of their meals to make their food go further (50 per cent),” according to Foodbank, which distributes food and groceries to more than 2,400 charities nationally. “At least once a week, three in 10 food insecure Australians (30 per cent) go a whole day without eating.”

And it’s worse for women than men, with more than one quarter of Australian women (27 per cent compared to 18 per cent of men) experiencing food insecurity within the last year. Food insecurity also carries a greater emotional toll for women, according to Foodbank which surveyed 2,000 charities and 1,000 Australians who are experiencing food insecurity for its seventh annual report.

“The female experience is often characterised by higher levels of emotional strain with women more likely to say they feel anxious (49 per cent of females compared to 37 per cent of males) and stressed (58 per cent compared to 47 per cent) as a result of food insecurity,” according to the report. “Mothers experiencing food insecurity are twice as likely as fathers to feel like a bad parent when there is not enough food in the house (50 per cent of mothers strongly agree compared to 26 per cent of fathers).”

Long term drought in rural areas, rising costs of living and the insufficient Newstart allowance are all factors contributing to food insecurity. But women experiencing food insecurity are also more likely than men to have experienced domestic violence or financial abuse in their lifetime and they are more likely to have raised children on their own for an extended period. Men, on the other hand, are more likely to have been unable to find a job for a lengthy period.

“We hear so many heart-breaking stories from mothers skipping meals so their children can eat to elderly women left on their own feeling isolated because they can’t offer their neighbours or friends so much as a cup of tea or coffee” Foodbank Australia CEO, Brianna Casey said.

“We knew the situation was bad, but this year’s report confirms that it’s getting worse and the impact is skewed towards our most vulnerable women in the community.”

Foodbank provides food relief for more than 810,000 Australians every month and there has been a 22 per cent increase in the number of individuals accessing food relief in the past year. However, Casey says only 37 per cent of charities believe they are meeting the full demand in their communities.

To tackle the growing crisis, Foodbank is calling on the Federal Government to introduce a National Food Security Strategy to achieve zero hunger in Australia by 2030.

Meanwhile, we can all help shine a light on the issue by using the hashtags #HiddenHunger and #ZeroHunger on social media, donating at foodbank.org.au or asking our local Member of Federal Parliament what they are doing to address food insecurity.