An investigation of structural violence in the lived experience of food insecurity

The coping continuum and acts reciprocity - a qualitative enquiry about household coping with food insecurity in Victoria, Australia

OBJECTIVE

Food insecurity exists when a household has limited or uncertain access to food. This paper explores the strategies employed by households who are already accessing emergency and community food assistance to meet their food needs.

METHOD

Interviews to explore strategies used to mitigate food insecurity of people living in Victoria, Australia, between June 2018 and January 2019. Data were analysed thematically.

RESULTS

Seventy-eight interviews were conducted. Analysis resulted in two themes highlighting the range of coping strategies employed to mitigate the impacts of food insecurity; broadly described as 1) the coping continuum and 2) coping reciprocity.

CONCLUSIONS

Food insecure households employ a range of strategies to secure food. Households that engage with the emergency and community food sector are described as in crisis or struggling, often skipping meals or reducing food consumed, or as coping and managing, characterised by bulking meals and growing food.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH

Coping with food insecurity exists on a continuum from crisis to management and reciprocity. With the prevalence of food insecurity expected to increase, some of these coping strategies will need to be incorporated into the practice of emergency and community food providers to assist households to meet food needs.

A scoping review of the conceptualizations of food justice

OBJECTIVE

The emerging concept of 'food justice' has been described as a movement and a set of principles that align with the goals of social justice, which demands recognition of human rights, equal opportunity, fair treatment, and is participatory and community specific. Considering its widespread use and variable definitions, this study establishes the scope of research by exploring diverse conceptualizations of food justice.

DESIGN

A scoping review of peer-reviewed literature was conducted using the term "food justice". This study used a five-step scoping review protocol. The databases included Scopus, Web of Science and Medline (OVID). Data were extracted on country of origin, research discipline, study type and conceptualizations of food justice. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to identify the themes.

RESULTS

The search identified 546 abstracts of which 90 were peer-reviewed studies. Thematic analysis revealed five themes of food justice across 90 studies: 1) social equity, 2) food security 3) food systems transformation, 4) community participation and agency, and 5) environmental sustainability.

CONCLUSIONS

Current conceptualizations of food justice are evolving. Together these themes embrace a more holistic and structural view of the food system. They emphasize healthy, sustainable, and equitable food as a human right and acknowledge the need to address structural barriers to that right. Despite its 20-year history the parameters of food justice are still not well defined, making it difficult for communities to mobilize for transformative change. Community participation and agency in food justice decision-making are critical to create a healthy, sustainable, and more just food system.