More than a quarter million South Australian households go hungry.

Under Embargoed: 12.01AM, Monday 23rd October, 255,000 households went hungry in South Australia in the past year, according to the Foodbank Hunger Report 2023, released today. That’s more than one-third of households in South Australia that at some stage did not know where their next meal was coming from.

The research highlights that the cost-of-living is now cited as the main cause of food insecurity for South Australian households.

These households may not be who you think with food insecurity now being experienced in homes it has never touched before; with 77 percent of food insecure households experiencing it for the first time in the past year.

 The report confirms the face of hunger is changing. More than half of food insecure South Australian households have someone in paid work (over 50 percent), with more than 31% being mortgage holders (up from 29% last year).

Foodbank SA & NT CEO, Greg Pattinson, has indicated the need for food relief is definitely increasing and our Food Hubs are feeling the pressure.

“The 2023 Foodbank Hunger Report confirms what we are seeing in SA and NT, with all of our Food Hubs and Regional distribution centres seeing record numbers of families seeking food. For many of these families, walking into our centres for the first time was a difficult experience as they had never had to ask for help before, as they have jobs and mortgages.”

“Unfortunately, these families are reporting that the impact of surging costs of everyday living means that they now find themselves having to ask for help. This significant increase in demand means that Foodbank must find more food and groceries so that these families can ‘live to fight another day’”.

Foodbank SA & NT are bracing themselves for future increases in those seeking food relief as the cost-of-living crisis worsens across the state.


NATIONAL:

3.7 million households went hungry in Australia in the past year, according to the Foodbank Hunger Report 2023, released today. That’s more than all the households in Sydney and Melbourne combined.

Foodbank Australia says the research highlights one glaringly obvious cause why 36 percent of Australian households are experiencing food insecurity: the cost-of-living crisis.

Food insecurity is now being experienced in homes it has never touched before, with 77 percent of food insecure households experiencing it for the first time in the past year.

The report confirms the face of hunger is changing. More than half of food insecure households have someone in paid work (60 percent), and those experiencing food insecurity for the first time are younger, with mid to higher incomes.

The research highlights what Foodbank sees first-hand every day; food is the pressure valve for the many households doing it tough. It is the most likely item to be sacrificed to make ends meet. Almost all (94 percent) of food insecure households tried to mitigate the cost-of-living pressures by reducing their spend on food and grocery items. Tactics included looking for sales and discounts or cheaper alternative and reducing eating out. In a move that may have future public health consequences, nearly half said they reduced their purchasing of fresh produce and protein.

Foodbank Australia CEO, Brianna Casey, says the cost of the most basic of rights – food and shelter, is now the most common cause of food insecurity in Australia.

“We have an increasing number of people struggling to secure adequate food and the housing crisis is only exacerbating the problem, with half of all renters and a third of all mortgage holder’s food insecure in the last 12 months.

“We are fast heading towards a reality where more than half the population will know what food insecurity is because they are experiencing it themselves. Almost one in two Australians have felt anxious about accessing adequate food or struggled to consistently access it. In a country where we produce enough food to feed our population three times over, this should not be happening.”

This week is Anti-Poverty Week and the food relief charity is advocating the Federal Government to use the Foodbank Hunger Report 2023 as a reference point in future policy settings underpinning poverty and inequality and to ensure the food relief sector is adequately resourced to respond to current and future levels of demand across Australia.

Key SA statistics:

  • 255,000 South Australian households struggled to put food on the table this year
  • 42,000 more South Australian households struggled to put food on the table this year, than in 2022
  • 150,000 South Australian households experienced severe food insecurity (this is missing multiple days without food each week), up 20,000 households from last year
  • The number one reason households in South Australia struggle to meet their food needs is the cost-of-living crisis.
  • 31% of all food insecure households are mortgage holder’s vs 29% last year.
  • More than 50% of all food insecure households in South Australia have someone in paid work
  • A third of households are struggling to put food on the table due to rent increases,

 

Key National Statistics:

  • In the last 12 months, 7 million households in Australia experienced food insecurity. That’s more than all the households in Sydney and Melbourne combined.
  • This number represents 383,000 more households than 2022 that are struggling to put food on the table.
  • The number one reason households in Australia struggle to meet their food needs is the cost-of-living crisis.
  • More than half (60%) of all food insecure households had someone in paid work.
  • Half of all renters and a third of all mortgage holders are struggling to put a meal the table.
  • 77% of households that struggled to meet their food needs in the last 12 months, did so for the first time. Households struggling for the first time to put a meal on the table are increasingly likely to be young, employed or with a mid-high income.

Methodology:

This report presents key findings from the Foodbank Hunger Report 2023 research which was conducted between 12 and 31 July 2023, through an online survey of 4,342 Australians aged 18 years or older. The sample was nationally representative by age, gender and location (capital city / rest of state) in each major state, with stratified quotas to ensure all major states have a robust minimum sample size of n=600 or above.

All 4,342 Australians answered up to 18 questions in the United States Department of Agriculture Household Food Security Survey Module (HFSSM) for measurement of the prevalence of household food security over the 12 months ending July 2023.

A total of 1,514 respondents (36%) were identified through the HFSSM as being from moderately and severely food insecure households. This group continued to answer a deep dive module about their experience living with food insecurity over the last 12 months.

CONTACT:

South Australia & Northern Territory:
Sarah Davies
GM-Strategy
Foodbank SA & NT
M 0432 511 091
E sarahd@foodbanksa.org.au