Food insecurity within UK communities

This report shows that increasing numbers of people within the United Kingdom are being pulled into food insecurity since the small improvements obtained as COVID started to recede. Small changes in circumstances give rise to large numbers of people moving into and out of different levels of food security (see also Moraes et al. 2020). The vulnerability to declines in food security is linked to locational conditions and characteristics alongside and intersecting with group circumstances. People move into and out of food insecurity as their individual, group, and locational circumstances change, which are all influenced by national conditions. Food insecurity is fundamentally geographical. Rural, Urban and regional differences are explored in this study, but the IMD quintile area within which one lives is as important as national-level effects on food security. In some instances, as demonstrated by the analysis, local conditions can enable resilience in the face of national shifts. In other circumstances, they add to the burden people in those places experience. Interventions that make a difference in these local contexts are needed, and their effectiveness can be judged by changes in the measures of food insecurity outlined in this report. These include reductions in very low, low, and moderate food insecurity as well as increases in overall food security attributable to local effects. While those who are out of work or unemployed are most vulnerable to food insecurity, this analysis has shown that for many, waged employment, including full-time employment, is not a means by which they can avoid food insecurity. This is particularly true for people living in areas that are more highly deprived. While all groups are vulnerable to food security, particularly in areas of higher deprivation, certain groups are more vulnerable to food insecurity. Households with children, particularly three children or more, BAME communities, people with long-term health conditions and people in poor health are the most vulnerable. Interestingly and importantly, gender alone is not a variable that indicates high risk; however, there will be different factors that are likely to increase the chances of having low or very low food security, which is likely to affect men differently compared to women. More research is needed to identify these. This analysis has shown that food insecurity and the strategies people use are complex, intersecting with the conditions and characteristics of the places where they live, their working status, the presence or absence of children, ethnicity, and health. The analysis indicates that there is a relationship between shopping more frequently than once a week increases as food security levels decrease. While we do not fully understand the specific strategies people are using and the ways that they may be combining different food sources, this relationship suggests that people who are in high food security are more likely to shop at a supermarket or local store just once a week. However, this is only relatively weakly correlated as many food-secure people also do not shop weekly. Food insecurity is linked to poor diet, affecting physical health. Research also shows that food insecurity increases stress, depression, and feelings of social isolation. Food is more than just nutrients and calories; its commensal qualities are an important tool for repairing and connecting communities. A vital requirement for being able to improve local resilience. The research finds that there is no single magic bullet that will fix the problems of food security. Different interventions bring different strengths, and the key is finding combinations that work synergistically in local places.