Cash strapped Aussies running out of food

A survey by food rescue and relief organisation SecondBite revealed the extent that the cost-of-living crisis is continuing to affect the lives of millions of Australians.

The study found that beyond the five million people who ran out of food, a further 30 per cent – six million individuals – were worried the same thing would happen to them.

SecondBite, which in 2024 provided the equivalent of more than 50 million meals to Australians in need via charities such as community groups, women’s shelters and youth centres, said more than three quarters of those organisations have cited a surge in demand.

SecondBite CEO Daniel Moorfield said the organisation was experiencing unprecedented demand for its services as people struggled to put food on the table.

“Our research found Aussies are stressed about the lack of food in their cupboard with many having to go hungry before their pay cheque comes in,” he said.

Moorfield said an alarming 76 per cent of the charities SecondBite works with reported an increase in demand for their services compared to the previous year.

“Sadly, two in five have had to turn people away and one in five have had to waitlist requests.”

The SecondBite survey found:

• young people are feeling the pinch, with almost one fifth (18 per cent) of Gen Z frequently running out of food before they had enough money to buy more followed by Millennials (seven per cent), Gen X (nine per cent) and Baby Boomers (four per cent)  
• almost a quarter of Gen Z frequently worried about running out of food followed by Millennials (nine per cent), Gen X (15 per cent) and Baby Boomers (seven per cent)

• people living outside the major capital cities were more likely to frequently worry they won’t have enough to eat 

• unmarried singles and parents are more likely to say they regularly run out of food or are worried that they will, compared to the rest of the population

• higher income earners are not immune from food insecurity, with 20 per cent of people with a household income above $100,000 a year running out of food without the cash to buy more.

Brisbane mother Wendy James (above), said she and her husband worked tirelessly to purchase a home, run their small office furniture and stationary business, and support their kids. However, the soaring cost of living meant they were unable to keep up with basic weekly living costs.  

Food insecurity loomed large during the recent federal election campaign, with both sides of politics promising to address the issue amid voter concerns over the cost-of-living crisis.

In his federal Budget reply speech, then Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said a Coalition government would invest $50 million to help food relief charities such as Foodbank, SecondBite and OzHarvest expand their services to help struggling Australians.

The Coalition followed up with an election campaign commitment of a further $19.5 million for Foodbank Queensland to establish a new food distribution centre.

Then Shadow Charities spokesman Senator Dean Smith was also behind a proposal widely supported by the not-for-profit sector designed to change the nation's tax system to discourage dumping food in favour of donating it to those in need, which was ultimately rejected by the Albanese government.

In March, the Labor Party promised that if re-elected, it would commit to developing a National Food Security Strategy.

Under the $3.5 million Feeding Australia plan, the government promised to establish a National Food Council, comprising industry and community experts, to advise on the development and implementation of the strategy.

SecondBite collects more than 69,000 kgs of surplus fruit and vegetables every week, which is distributed to more than 1,000 charities to 500,000 Australians struggling to put food on the table.

The organisation also provides baked goods, meat, dairy products, pre-prepared meals and pantry staples via volunteer run not-for-profit kitchen FareShare.

Moorfield urged Australians to reach into their pockets and make a tax-deductable donation ahead of the end of the financial year to help SecondBite conduct it’s vital food relief work.

He said every dollar donated before 30 June will enable SecondBite to distribute enough food for up to 10 meals, with the Hupert Family Foundation promising to match all EOFY donations.

“As demand for donated produce and pantry staples increases, donating before ahead of 30 June means you can claim it on tax and also double your impact, supporting thousands of Aussies who need to supplement their household meals,” said Moorfield.  

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Food for thought

Food relief agencies hungry to help