This Evidence Check addressed three questions. It aimed to find out (1) the factors contributing to food insecurity for Aboriginal peoples in NSW, and (2) the extent and distribution of food insecurity in this population. Further, it aimed to (3) discover effective policies and programmes for improving food security among First Nations peoples.

Thirty publications were found which related to one or both of the first two questions, though only six of these were peer-reviewed. For the third question fourteen publications were found, twelve of which were peer-reviewed.

Information about the factors contributing to food insecurity was mainly reported only at an Australia-wide level. There were three main factors found: (i) affordability (both pricing for healthy food options and low income), (ii) systemic causes (the ongoing impacts of colonization, such as changes in local food systems and loss of cultural food practices and knowledge), and (iii) crises exacerbating food insecurity (COVID-19, droughts, floods and bushfires).

The scale and distribution of food insecurity in NSW could not be reported due to the lack of data specific to NSW, with most sources reporting only at an Australia-wide level. However, at this national level based on data from 2012-13, 22% to 32% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were food insecure (depending on location), compared to 4% to 13% of non-Indigenous Australians.

Effective programs for improving food security among First Nations peoples were drawn mainly from US and Canadian literature (12 of the 14 publications addressing this question). Programs which were participatory, governed by community and reflecting community priorities, were effective. So were programs which integrated cultural knowledges and food systems and increased the availability and accessibility of cultural foods. Interagency collaboration was another factor in program success. No effective policies were identified. Combating food insecurity in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in NSW will require programs with these characteristics. Additionally, a standardised evaluation framework should be funded and developed, and utilised across these programs.

Aboriginal Affairs NSW, Department of Premier and Cabinet commissioned and funded this research and we extend our thanks for their support of this project. The views expressed in this paper are those of the authors and may not reflect those of Aboriginal Affairs NSW or the New South Wales Government.

Citation

Davies A, Gwynn J, Flood V, Allman-Farinelli M, Dickson M, Turner N, Lock M. Evidence for improving food security in Aboriginal communities in NSW: an Evidence Check rapid review brokered by the Sax Institute (www.saxinstitute.org.au) for Aboriginal Affairs NSW, Department of Premier and Cabinet, 2022.
doi:10.57022/prge4182

Download now