Recent Australian data tells a sad story. Nearly one in three households have skipped meals for full days, or had to make trade-offs between different kinds of food, in the last 12 months. This shocking statistic is a testament to the widening epidemic of food insecurity in our country. It disproportionately impacts the most vulnerable, including single-parent households and those with disabilities.
This is the most startling statistic revealed in the report. Food insecurity affects 67 percent of households that include an individual with a disability or health condition. The crisis deepens especially for single-parent households where 68 percent cannot afford enough food to be healthy. This shocking state of affairs underscores the need for immediate relief. Nearly half of households earning $91,000 or more are still cost burdened. In fact, one of five of these households indicated they have been food insecure.
Single mother and renter Jessica Menace outlines her personal journey through the increasing costs. She is paying $1,000 a fortnight in rent, and frequently has to find herself budgeting just to live. I came home at 17 when I left home at 17 after being forced to run away from home over safety concerns. It feels crazy to take that away from someone,’ Menace said. ‘Part of me wants to run and just go back home and live there forever. Her experiences are echoed by a rapidly growing number of Australians feeling the financial squeeze.
The economic implications extend beyond individual households. Australia still wastes an estimated 7.6 million tonnes of food annually. This incredible waste damages our economy by more than $36.6 billion each year. Amanda Lee, an Emeritus Professor from the University of Queensland’s School of Public Health, explains that lower socio-economic households often experience the poorest health outcomes. “Often in households that are struggling to make ends meet, you’ve got mothers in particular who go without food to try and improve the diet of their children,” she stated, emphasizing the long-term consequences of poor nutrition.
We know that food insecurity has a dramatic, negative impact on health. For many, this means relying on inexpensive, nutrient-poor, calorie-dense foods. “It’s really a very insidious and surprisingly common problem in a country like Australia,” Lee added. In fact, unhealthy foods are the leading drivers of obesity and chronic disease. This further entrenches a vicious cycle that exacerbates health disparities.
For Australian parliamentarian Kylea Tink, the dire data indicates a disturbing trend towards the systemic that is truly getting worse over time. “Families are skipping meals, or they’re only feeding certain members of the family at certain meals, or in the worst-case scenario, they’re going whole days without eating at all,” Tink said. She further stressed the need for government intervention, stating, “The real concern for us here is that with this data cumulatively now what we’re seeing is this is a systemic endemic issue that is not getting better.”
A new, proposed tax incentive would address these issues directly. It rewards businesses, particularly farmers and other food producers, for donating surplus food rather than letting it go to waste. This incentive would provide either cash back or tax credits according to the expenses associated with donating food. Similar models have been successfully carried out in countries like the United States, Canada and France.
Colm Maguire from the Australian Food and Grocery Council expressed support for the initiative, stating, “Food and grocery manufacturers are committed to addressing food insecurity, but the associated costs can be a barrier. A targeted tax incentive would help offset these costs, making it easier for companies of all sizes to participate in food relief efforts.”
Tink highlighted the logistical challenges faced by food producers, noting that “for many food producers, it is cheaper to bury the excess or send it to the tip than to ship it to charities and donate.” This shines a spotlight on a serious gap in our supply chain. Intentional government action and policy reform would go a long way to closing that gap.
