In Canada alone, 2 out of 5 post-secondary students experience some form of food insecurity. Food insecurity is described as inadequate and insecure access to food as a result of financial constraints. Its prevalence within the student population is overlooked by many considering the significant implications it has on students’ livelihood, learning and overall well-being. It’s complex and interconnected with our core needs and different for each and every individual in our communities.
The Food Insecurity project began during our 2019-2020 Design Thinking Experience Program (DTEP) , and was worked on by three separate teams over the course of 2019-2020 to ensure that we were hearing from a diverse scope of students and community members to truly understand needs in food insecurity. This has allowed us to bring new perspectives and be flexible in exploring and understanding why student food insecurity exists within higher education.
Our Findings
When aligned with their basic needs, eating experiences can satisfy students' hunger and support their wellbeing, leading to their self-fulfillment. By identifying & recognizing the complexities and core elements elements of food insecurity, we can locate the short and long-term implications food insecurity has on students’ academic success, future endeavours, health and overall well-being.
Food for self-fulfillment can be understood through three themes:
- Finding Food Identity
- Managing Balance Imperfectly
- Gaining Food Know-How
In the provided blog post & report below, we discuss the complexity of food insecurity, design principles and recipes for success, and more.
