{"id":6548,"date":"2021-02-03T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-02-03T18:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/innovationhub\/?p=6548"},"modified":"2024-06-20T23:52:27","modified_gmt":"2024-06-21T03:52:27","slug":"food-insecurity-the-key-to-student-self-fulfillment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/innovationhub\/food-insecurity-the-key-to-student-self-fulfillment\/","title":{"rendered":"Food Security: The Key to Student Self-Fulfillment"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Johanna Pokorny – Senior Research Assistant<\/em>, Amal Yusuf – Data Analysis Researcher<\/em>, Rosemarie Shephard – Data Analysis Researcher<\/em> and Betelehem Gulilat – Lead Editor & Writer<\/em> <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In Canada alone, 2 out of 5 post-secondary students experience some form of food insecurity<\/a>2<\/sup>. Food insecurity is described as inadequate and insecure access to food as a result of financial constraints<\/a>3<\/sup>. Its prevalence within the student population is overlooked by many considering the significant implications it has on students\u2019 livelihood, learning and overall well-being. It\u2019s complex and interconnected with our core needs and different for each and every individual in our communities.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

While many of our projects are in direct collaboration with partners, the Food Insecurity project began during our 2019-2020 Design Thinking Experience Program (DTEP)<\/a> where we support students and staff in equity-centered design thinking through hands-on projects that tackle a genuine challenge in the University of Toronto campus experience. When the team began this project in 2020, we quickly realized how complex & dynamic this topic is. We needed to ensure that we were hearing from a diverse scope of students and community members to truly understand needs in food insecurity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For these reasons, this project has been worked on by three different teams across the summer and fall work-study terms. This has allowed us to bring new perspectives and be flexible in exploring and understanding why student food insecurity exists within higher education. It had been a unique opportunity to combine existing research with student needs \u2013 ensuring that diverse voices and experiences drove our data. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

During these phases we have interviewed UofT students and staff about their eating and food experiences on campus, and utilized existing research<\/a> to understand some of the foundations of food insecurity in communities. We also engaged with our existing data (which includes interviews from over 600 students, faculty & UofT community members). After careful analysis from our teams, we\u2019ve discovered that eating experiences can satisfy students\u2019 hunger and support their well-being, leading to their self-fulfillment<\/em><\/strong>. <\/em>Particularly, when students\u2019 basic needs are being met. We discuss this in the blog post, but it\u2019s also further examined in our recent report: Food for Student Self-Fulfillment: Supporting Student Food Experiences<\/a>. <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Elements of Student Food Insecurity  <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Food insecurity is tough to navigate within higher education for a number of reasons. First and foremost, there isn’t enough research targeting student populations.<\/strong> This already stigmatizes student food insecurity since there aren\u2019t many studies acknowledging its existence within student campuses. Second, there are several interwoven factors that influence food barriers, which can vary from student-to-student.<\/strong> For instance, each student has their own unique food identity based on their individual food preferences, culture, family and finances. As a result, accessing foods is about aligning with your food identity and this is where we believe the first step to self-fulfillment begins. Achieving self-fulfillment as a student means being able to fulfill one\u2019s ambitions and future desires. This is why understanding student self-fulfillment in relation to food experiences is important. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

By identifying & recognizing these core elements of food insecurity, we can locate the short and long-term implications food insecurity has on students\u2019 academic success, future endeavours, health and overall well-being.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Food for Self-Fulfillment <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In addition to finding food identity<\/strong>, another important insight we\u2019ve uncovered is the difficulty of balancing food and the demands of being a student. From navigating workloads, course schedules, and class locations to managing the stress and anxiety that comes with academics \u2013 students don\u2019t have the capacity to prioritize their ideal food options or food in its entirety. Therefore, students are left to manage balance imperfectly, <\/strong>which is <\/strong>an ongoing process of development. In a similar fashion, the lack of prioritizing food ideals prevents students from gaining food know-how<\/strong>. Students are eager to learn about new food locations, as well as nutritional and food preparation information on campus. However, they find it difficult to access this information whether it be in-person or online, and encourage better information-sharing. Students also recognize food literacy as a life skill they have not yet developed once moving away from home. From budgeting, grocery shopping, and cooking at home, students are interested in being equipped with these skills. This can empower students to find food options that fit their ideal needs, which can ultimately lead to self-fulfillment and contribute to their overall wellbeing.  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Inspired by Maslow\u2019s Hierarchy of Needs<\/a>1<\/sup>, a hierarchal model where basic needs must be met before meeting complex needs on top, we\u2019ve created our own model of self-fulfillment. Starting from the bottom, \u2018Finding Food Identity\u2019, students must first meet this need before they are able to \u2018Manage Balance Imperfectly\u2019 and \u2018Gain Food Know-How’ in order to ultimately reach self-fulfillment. After reflecting back on this model, we\u2019ve come to realize just how cyclical this process may be. For instance, if students have reached the top of the hierarchy, \u2018gaining food know-how’, this can lead to better eating experiences and an overall greater level of satisfaction. It\u2019s also important to acknowledge the intersectionality of food insecurity. <\/strong>Although financial constraint is described as the main driver of food insecurity, the geographic location, health status and nutritional knowledge of students are also important factors to consider. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recipes for Success <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ve outlined some design principles below to inspire and support UofT members on ways to make food more accessible on campus.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n