Food insecurity during COVID-19

Researchers at the Universities of York and Bristol (UK) have explored changes in food practices during the COVID-19 lockdowns. This Worldwide University Network (WUN)-funded study focuses on the way food insecure families with young children adapted their food practices during the pandemic. Through a mixed method approach, this study explored the experiences of UK families facing food insecurity, including their struggles to acquire and provide adequate food, but also the way they successfully adapted. Findings illuminate how food insecurity was exacerbated by the pandemic disruptions, and the multi-layered anxieties that food insecurity and coping strategies inevitably bring. Findings indicate that actions are needed from the government, local authorities and other food stakeholders to support the maintenance of stable food routines that lead to reduced food waste and healthier food consumption. Policy goals should be to build resilience within local communities to mitigate future emergencies. Overall, targeted support to low socio-economic status (SES) families brings life-long benefits to individual health and wellbeing, reduces societal inequalities, and focuses on levelling up to support the futures of children, which benefits society as a whole.