Food for thought

The struggles experienced by many families and individuals to put food on the table has led to unprecedented demand on food relief agencies such as Foodbank, SecondBite and OzHarvest.

The increasingly dire situation has also prompted the investigation of a range of innovative solutions to address the problem.

From groundbreaking academic research on access to affordable, healthy food, to charity cattle drives and the launch of a food relief-themed toilet paper to raise funds, we look at some of the ways the sector is tackling food insecurity.

Food co-op key to healthy eating

With many Australians struggling to afford healthy food, new research has revealed that community food cooperatives can play an important role in improving diet and reducing food insecurity.

Researchers from the University of Western Sydney and the University of Wollongong surveyed 2,200 members of community food co-op Box Divvy to learn more about their dietary habits.

Box Divvy connects consumers directly with local farmers and wholesalers through community-based hubs and a shared-box system, where members group together to order fresh produce directly from growers and suppliers via an app.

The study revealed that before joining the NSW-ACT-based co-op, half of those surveyed were classified as food insecure.

This figure dropped to 23 per cent after joining Box Divvy.

Members of the co-op also increased their average vegetable intake by 3.3 serves per week, and fruit by 2.5 serves.

The positive impact of joining the co-op was even more pronounced among those classified as suffering severe food insecurity - defined as people skipping meals and regularly experiencing hunger.

Lead author Dr Katherine Kent, from the University of Wollongong, said the findings highlighted the potential for community-based food cooperatives to positively influence dietary behaviour and food security by improving access to healthy foods.

“Younger age, single parent households and lower income were significant predictors of food insecurity, suggesting these groups are particularly at risk and are looking for alternatives to big supermarkets,” she said.

Dr Cristy Brooks from the School of Health Sciences and Translational Health Research Institute at Western Sydney University, said the study demonstrates the potential of community food co-ops to reshape consumer dietary behaviour and improve healthy food access for vulnerable groups.

“This work strengthens the evidence base for affordable healthy food solutions beyond the traditional supermarket approach,” she said.

“Our findings suggest community-based food co-ops may have a range of positive health benefits, with the potential for important environment and policy implications in the future.”

Toilet paper with purpose

Just like food, toilet paper is an essential household item.

Now the humble three-ply is being used to raise money for food relief.

Foodbank Australia has partnered with local toilet tissue manufacturer Encore Tissue to launch their own brand of toilet paper.

A percentage of the sales go to Foodbank, with the manufacturer committed to providing funds that will source the equivalent of one million meals for those in need.

Foodbank Australia CEO Brianna Casey said each 20-roll packet of Australian made Foodbank Toilet Paper, sold exclusively through Woolworths stores, will contribute directly to the charity’s food relief efforts.

“We are so grateful for the Encore Tissues initiative. Every household need’s toilet paper so why not buy one with purpose?

“Each packet enables us to source meals for people in our community doing it tough and right now it’s people in your street who are struggling to make ends meet.”

Cattle drive for food relief

The Great Australian Charity Cattle Drive (GACCD) is a charity event to generate awareness of food insecurity and raise funds to help those struggling to put food on the table.

The three-month event, which kicked off this week, aims to drive 1,600 donated head of cattle 775km from Longreach to Roma in far west Queensland.

The cattle drive was the brainchild of food relief charity BeefBank, a Rotary initiative which helps fight food insecurity by supplying sustainable Australian beef to Foodbank, which in turns uses it to create meals for those in need.

GACCD chair Anthony "Bim" Struss said the event was years in the making.

“We see this as an opportunity for our beef industry to give back to those less fortunate than us,” he said.

“This BeefBank initiative will fundraise and showcase our beef industry, it will promote tourism and offer an opportunity to participate in an iconic outback event.”

The politics of food relief

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.

Shadow Charities minister Dean Smith described the announcement at the time as a significant investment in food relief that would make a real difference on the ground, where people are doing it tough.

“The new Foodbank Queensland Distribution Centre will be three times the size of the current facility, enabling Foodbank Queensland to expand its services to more families in crisis, including in regional and remote areas, and expand the School Breakfast Program,” he said.

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.

The government said the strategy would aim to boost the security and supply chain resilience of agriculture and food production systems in Australia.

“Through the strategy, we will identify opportunities to improve supply chain resilience, with the goal of minimising price volatility and costs at the checkout,” the government said in a statement.

The pledge was supported by Foodbank Australia, which said it had been calling for a bipartisan approach to food security for almost a decade.

Foodbank Australia CEO Brianna Casey said her organisation recognised the importance of a forward-looking strategy to underpin the efforts of the public, private and not-for-profit sectors on this issue.

“Every Australian should have access to healthy, culturally appropriate food, but this is not the case for more than three million households across the country,” she said.