Realities of food insecurity for young people: Insights from the 2021 Australian Youth Barometer

Secure access to nutritious and available food is a human right, but food insecurity persists as a multifaceted problem that is difficult to detect among Australia’s youth population. In 2021, findings from the Australian Youth Barometer indicated that 20.8 per cent of young Australians had experienced food insecurity in the last two years.

Despite its prevalence, food insecurity is hidden behind a veil of shame and stigma and obscured by poor understanding and recognition in the community. Food insecurity is an issue not limited to food, nutrition and eating. The complex impacts of food insecurity are diverse, encompassing both the psychological and the physical. There can be stigma attached to food insecurity, which can result in stress and feelings of shame, which in turn can affect belonging, mental health and wellbeing.

While COVID-19 has highlighted the phenomenon, there is still a substantial way to go in terms of understanding young people’s experiences and coping strategies and identifying effective solutions to the complex impacts of food insecurity. This paper represents an entry point into a deeper, critical investigation of young people and food insecurity, and seeks to locate this issue front and centre in the discussion about young people and their post-COVID recovery.