What was the Inquiry?
Victorian Government Legislative Council Legal and Social Issues Committee inquiry into, consider and report on the impacts, drivers of and solutions for food security in Victoria including the impact of food insecurity on physical and mental health and poverty and hardship and the options available to lower the cost of food and improve access to affordable, nutritious and culturally appropriate food.
Summary of recommendations
The following list summarises our recommendation to the Inquiry, with detailed evidence supporting each recommendation presented below, against the relevant Terms of Reference (TOR).
- Victoria should develop a food security strategy, with an associated implementation and investment plan, with the vision of ensuring equitable, sustainable and healthy food (page 9).
- The food security strategy should be developed using participatory methods and coordinate actions to support the food security of all and at every life stage, now and into the future. These actions, described in TOR 2, include evidence-informed interventions to lower the cost of food (pages 10 – 12) and improve access to affordable, nutritious and culturally appropriate food (pages 12 – 17). Guiding principles for actions are needed to guide a statewide approach (page 12).
- Victoria requires better data on food insecurity at the household level. Regular state-wide surveillance of household food security is needed and should be measured using the USDA Household Food Security Survey Module 18-item questionnaire (pages 7-8).
- Advocate to the Federal Government to increase income support payments to be above the poverty line and all support payment types should be indexed to wage growth to ensure food security for all Victorians and Australians (pages 7-8).
What did the Inquiry find?
On Thursday 14th November 2024, the Legal and Social Issues Committee (LSC) of the Victorian Legislative Council released Food Security in Victoria – a report exploring the drivers, impacts and solutions for food security.
Key findings
- Food insecurity is a major issue in Victoria, affecting many people’s physical and mental health
- The cost of food and broader cost-of-living pressures are the main drivers of food insecurity
- Low-income households are disproportionately affected by food insecurity
- Food insecurity is exacerbated by other financial stressors, such as unemployment, wage stagnation, and inadequate income support
Recommendations
- Improve access to nutritious and culturally appropriate food
- Improve access to food literacy
- Provide appropriate funding and infrastructure
- Ensure cross-sectoral policy actions to address food insecurity
- Link solutions to other community and government activities, such as housing strategies
- Significantly increase investments in affordable social housing
- Increase investment in interventions such as the Private Rental Assistance Program
- Coordinate with a Commonwealth National Food Plan
The Government has six months to respond to the report.
