What is food insecurity?
Food Insecurity refers to inadequate or insecure access to sufficient food, or food of acceptable quality, to meet one’s daily needs due to financial constraints. It is a serious public health issue that is closely linked to negative health, social, and academic outcomes.
Food impacts all parts of our daily lives. It’s not only necessary to sustain ourselves, but to learn, grow, and feel connected to our communities.
Food Security will only be achieved when all people, at all times, have access to sufficient, safe, nutritious, and culturally-appropriate food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences.
While short-term solutions such as food banks and community gardens may provide immediate relief, research shows that charity cannot solve food insecurity alone. We need long-term solutions that are systemic, inclusive, and champion food justice and sustainable food systems.
Changing perceptions of the "starving student"
The “Starving Student” is a stereotype that pokes fun at and normalizes the conditions of poverty that many students find themselves living in. Comments about students having limited pocket money, only eating instant noodles, and skipping meals to pay for textbooks all reinforce and minimize the negative impacts of food insecurity on student populations. In reality, food insecurity is a serious issue.
The lack of food security effects all aspects of a students' well-being, such as physical and mental health, which in turn can affect their performance in school and social interactions.
It is estimated that about 38 per cent of students studying at Canadian postsecondary institutions are food insecure. The root cause is income inadequacy, where individuals and households do not possess enough money to fund their basic needs. Many postsecondary students are vulnerable to food insecurity due to their financial situations, including a limited earning potential, housing costs, academic expenses and more.
Research has found that food insecurity disproportionally impacts Black, Indigenous, and people of colour (BIPOC) students, international students, students who are parents, transgender and non-binary students, and low-income students.
You’re not alone
If you are a Centennial College student facing food insecurity, we can help. Learn about some of the Food Access and Support options available at the College. You can also:
Learn more
- Locally, the Centre for Innovation in Campus Mental Health’s Food Insecurity InfoSheet explains the impact of food insecurity on postsecondary student health and wellbeing.
- PROOF, a University of Toronto research program that studies how policy can help reduce food insecurity, has published two informative studies worth reading:
- Meal Exchange is an organization that empowered Canadian post-secondary students and campuses to address food insecurity. Review their reports titled:
- Food security is a global issue. Learn about the second United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals to end hunger by 2023.