By Don Urquhart
Times-Chronicle
Pre-pandemic inequalities in access to food have been significantly worsened by Covid-19, say the authors of two recent university studies on food security in British Columbia.
Bearing the brunt of food insecurity are those from lower-income households, individuals with physical and/or mental health issues, and those whose key source of food are non-profit food hubs. Problems with transportation are an exacerbating factor, the studies highlight.
The first study, ‘Food Access, Concerns and Perceptions During Covid-19 First Wave: British Columbia’ by Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s Institute for Sustainable Food Systems, looks at how Covid-19 has impacted access to food, as well as related public concerns and perceptions.
The survey includes the views of some 2,200 British Columbians from across the income spectrum – part of a larger survey covering five regions of the country in cooperation with four other Canadian universities.
The second, ‘Getting Around To Feed Ourselves Well’ from Simon Fraser University and the Food Systems Lab, looked specifically at the Covid-19 impacts on individuals sourcing their food from non-profit food hubs within the City of Vancouver.
Discussing their findings, Wallapak Polasub, Research Associate, Economic Team Lead at Kwantlen Polytechnic University notes that British Columbians generally reported no significant difficulty in accessing food. Rather, the survey indicated their primary issues revolved more around acquiring specific food and in the quantity they needed.
But the story is different for a smaller social segment of vulnerable individuals who reported a significantly higher level of difficulty accessing food. This includes households with incomes less than $40,000, Indigenous respondents, and those vulnerable to severe illness from Covid-19.
Key drivers of this difficulty, according to the Kwantlen study, were limited financial resources and anxiety about going out. Other factors included limited store options, transportation issues, and quarantine lockdowns.
The grocery shopping and eating habits of British Columbians also changed in the pandemic environment, as individuals shopped less frequently and purchased more frozen and shelf-stable food.
Consumption patterns also changed with slightly under half of respondents experiencing a change in diet during the pandemic. The two most cited and contrasting patterns of diet change were increased sweet/salty snack consumption, and conversely increased consumption of fruits and vegetables.
These changes were driven by more time spent at home; pandemic stress, isolation, and boredom; focusing on being healthy; infrequent food shopping trips or limited availability; and financial hardship or affordability.
Polasub notes that while some individuals became inspired to spend more time preparing food, others were adversely impacted by stress and hence less likely to spend time on meal preparation.
The survey also highlighted the support of B.C. respondents for better developed regional food systems. Many felt a more regional/local food supply would be more reliable than the global food system during times of crisis such as the pandemic.
There was the recognition, however, that limited production capacity due to weather, land and workforce issues would pose significant challenges to realizing this goal.
The findings also highlighted a growing concern over food access, particularly amongst those who are unemployed and also those who have at least one child in the household.
But nowhere was the concern greater than amongst those accessing non-profit food hubs as their key source of food. With a more specific focus, the SFU study looked at individuals accessing food at non-profit food hubs in the City of Vancouver.
Over 82 per cent of the respondents said food sourced from non-profit food hubs was either ‘very important’ or ‘somewhat important’ to their household’s overall diet. The bulk of these individuals fell into the 21-55 age group, with 70 per cent white, 12 per cent Indigenous and the remainder a mix of ethnic groups.
Income was predictably a key determinant in who makes use of non-profit food hubs, although the results revealed some unusual trends. Over 28 per cent of survey participants had a pre-tax income of less than $30,000 in the last 12 months, including government assistance.
But further up the income scale there are some surprises. Nearly 35 per cent of participants earned a gross income of $30,000 to less than $60,000 and 26 per cent earned between $60,000 and less than $90,000. If that wasn’t shock-ing enough, 7.0 per cent of respondents in the sample earned $90,000 or more per year.
Speaking to the Times-Chronicle on this finding, study lead Tammara Soma, Assistant Professor at the School of Resource and Environmental Management at Simon Fraser University, said: “In this case we can only speculate based on the fact that all food banks and food programs across the country reported soaring demand from new clients.”
Crucially, there are different levels of food insecurity, she points out, including extreme or severe, moderate, marginal etc. “So people can move in and out of categories quite easily and this pandemic is one way to get people going from moderate food insecurity to severe.”
Soma notes that this particular finding likely warrants a deeper examination when the final report is written. A complicating factor is that the study is broader than simply food banks, as it also includes neighbourhood food programs, soup kitchens, low cost grocery stores, etc.
Meanwhile, among the numerous barriers to accessing non-profit food hubs, the list includes long lineups, food hub schedules, and transportation in terms of cost, availability, physical barriers to use, etc.
“In general transportation-related barriers created numerous challenges for participants in our study,” Soma said.
Among the findings, over 36 per cent of respondents rarely, or never have access to a household automobile. For 25 per cent of survey participants this translated to a one-way travel time of 45 to 75 minutes or more to access a food hub.
Prior to the pandemic, 42 per cent of respondents found it difficult to make ends meet, a figure that has climbed to over 65 per cent currently. Compound-ing the problem is the fact that while 28 per cent found it difficult to access food hubs prior to the crisis, that number has grown to 41 per cent who say it is now ‘very difficult’ or ‘difficult’ to access non-profit food hubs due to transportation issues.
Longer lineups at food hubs are also particularly difficult for those with physical disabilities and/or mental health issues. The pandemic has created longer lineup times due to increased demand along with physical distancing and other public-health restrictions.
The study also notes that for consumers shopping at grocery stores, the long lineup phenomenon was only a temporary issue in the early ‘hoarding days’ of the pandemic last spring. “But keep in mind this is something that is an everyday reality for low-income community members,” Soma highlights.
The two studies reach similar conclusions, primarily that pre-existing inequality of access to food – primarily driven by financial difficulties – has been exacerbated by the pandemic.
“Financial need does not only inhibit food access, but mobility and ability to cover cost of transport. Poverty is a multilayered experience so it is not as simple as just moving the food around,” says Polasub.
As such, there is a need for “targeted fiscal and social interventions” to increase availability of food access for vulnerable populations.
To combat anxiety about going out to buy food, there must be clear pandemic communications, safe shopping environments and public health programming to address the impact of mental health on diet choices, the Kwantlen study suggests. Programs to encourage healthy eating are also key.
More physical and digital food infrastructure in communities is needed, as is local food processing and distribution systems. This should include online marketing support for local producers and stores, the report says.
“Food access issues are not just about having the money to buy food or knowing where to buy it, but it’s also food education – even simple things about knowing how to prepare food, substituting food, or preserving food,” Polasub adds.
In the preliminary conclusions of the SFU study, Soma and co-author, graduate student Daniel Rajasooriar, call for systemic solutions aimed at uplifting individuals from poverty “and not just bandage solutions.”
In terms of concrete proposals, the two call for public transit to be made more affordable for low-in-come households; a boost in government assistance programs particularly given the high cost of living in Vancouver; an exploration of better delivery options for individuals obtaining their food outside of main-stream grocery stores; and finally, the implementation of a universal basic income (UBI).
