Older people and food insecurity in rural places: invisibility, complexity and sociality

Older people and rural places remain neglected subjects within the academic literature on food insecurity. In this paper, we investigate the relations between food insecurity and older people in rural England. We do this in a couple of ways. First, we utilise findings from an analysis of national survey data on food insecurity to examine levels of food insecurity and engagements with food assistance services amongst older people and those living in rural places. Second, we draw on materials from ethnographic research at a community food club in a rural district to explore older people's understandings of, and encounters with, food, food insecurity and community food provision. Three key findings emerge from our study. First, levels of food insecurity and engagements with food aid services are particularly low amongst older age groups and those living in rural places. Second, the relationship between older people and food insecurity in rural places is complex, bound up with cultures of denial, thriftiness, sharing and informal support. Third, community-based food provision can overcome some of the stigmatic aspects of food insecurity and food aid to provide meaningful social food experiences for older people in rural places.