Food Insecurity of University Students

Students walking into the University of Melbourne Parkville canvas

Food insecurity affects a large proportion of university students in Australia, both on and off university campuses. This food insecurity ranges in severity from poor quality diets to regularly skipping meals. This series of projects examines:

  • university students’ experiences of food insecurity in Australia;
  • how campus food environments may be contributing to food insecurity;
  • the role of students in contributing to policies and initiatives to address food insecurity.

Project Website:

Student Food Insecurity

Grants

ARC Discovery Grant (2023-2026)
‘Hunger for Change: Student Food Insecurity and Youth Agency in Australia’

  • Chief Investigators: Craig Jeffrey, Gyorgy Scrinis, Jane Dyson
  • Research Fellow: Febe de Geest
  • Project Description: Rising food prices threaten to exacerbate an already pressing problem of food insecurity among students in Australia universities. This project will examine the causes, consequences, and nature of food insecurity among students in Australia employing interviews, focus groups and participant observation. It will contribute to scholarly debates on food security and youth agency through highlighting the imaginative ways in which young people are developing responses to food insecurity. The project will offer the Australian government, State governments and universities opportunities to build upon student-led solutions to food insecurity, enhance capacity for research on food and youth issues, and heighten public understanding of the issue.

Manchester-Melbourne-Toronto (MMT) Research Fund (2022-2023)
‘University Student Food Insecurity: Towards a Shared, Multi-National Research Agenda’

  • Project Description: This project will extend this research to students at other universities in Melbourne.

Social Science Research Council (SSRC), USA (2020-21)
‘Food Insecurity Among International Students Within and Beyond Victoria, Australia’

  • Project Description: This project will extend this research to students at other universities in Melbourne.
  • More information: SSRC website.

Faculty of Science Investment Grant (2021)
‘Student Addressing Student Food Insecurity within and beyond the University of Melbourne Food Insecurity’

  • Project Description: This project extends this research to students at other universities in Melbourne.

University of Melbourne, Student Services and Administration Fee Grant (SSAF) (2020-2021)
‘Talking Hunger: Understanding Food Insecurity on Campus’

  • Project Description: This project will use participatory research methods to gain a better qualitative understanding of the problem at the University of Melbourne and brainstorm possible solutions. The project was initiated, hosted and financially supported by the Melbourne Social Equity Institute.
  • Project Website: Talking Hunger

Publications

  • Jeffrey, C., Dyson, J., & Scrinis, G. (2022) Hunger for change: Student food insecurity in Australia. Geoforum, 136, 186-193.
  • Jeffrey, C., Dyson, J., Guest, S., and Scrinis, G. (2022) Australia must tackle student hunger. Times Higher Education, 23rd July, 2022
  • Guest, S, Dyson, J., Jeffrey, C., and Scrinis, G. (2022) “God I miss fruit!” Student Food insecurity on Australia campuses”, Food Anthropology blog.
  • Jeffery, C., Scrinis, G. & Dyson, J. (2021) ‘God, I miss fruit!’ 40% of students at Australian universities may be going without food’, The Conversation, 16 March.
  • Dyson, J., Scrinis, G., Jeffery, C., Edwards, C. Anja, R., Ellis, L., Sriram, A., Zentari, M.  &  Zoubtchenko, E. (2021) ‘Food for Thought’, Pursuit, 16 March.
  • Dyson, J., Jeffery, C. & Scrinis, G. (2021), ‘Missing Fruit: International Students’ Food Insecurity in Australian Universities’, Items: Insights from the Social Sciences, Social Science Research Council USA, December 16, 2021.

Media

  • Video: Student Hunger: A Silent Crisis video animation on student food insecurity, University of Melbourne, March 2021.
  • Podcast: Talking Hunger podcast on student food insecurity at the University of Melbourne, Melbourne School of Social Equity, University of Melbourne, 2021.