Addressing Food Insecurity in Torres Strait Islanders in Northern Territory

ADDRESSING FOOD INSECURITY IN TORRES STRAIT ISLANDERS LIVING IN
NORTHERN TERRITORY
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BACKGROUND
Food Insecurity
Food insecurity comes with the inability of an individual to afford adequate food
nutrients.1Disease management is difficult when there is poor nutrition combined with
stress.2,3Worsening health conditions, in turn, drain a lot of money from the households, eating
down on the budget and result in worsened lack of nutritious food and medical care.
Food Insecurity with aboriginals in Northern Territory of Australia
As food insecurity becomes a big threat to the well-being of a people in both developed and
developing countries and likely to affect people who are low-income earners it still remains a
global challenge as developing countries try to reach millennium development goal 1c target. In
addition, indigenous Australians are more likely than other Australians to have food insecurity as
a result of low income, overcrowding and household infrastructure among other factors.2,3,5,8 Food
insecurity with Aboriginal living in Northern Territory is of a big concern and should be dealt
with significantly. This paper aims at exploring an approach that can be used to minimize food
insecurity in remote areas of northern territory amongst Aboriginals.
Prevalence of the food insecurity
The Australian National Nutritional Survey of 1995 and framework data 2004-05 indicate that
indigenous people have a leading rate of 24% of food insecurity among other
Australians.3,4,5,8According to Rosier K. 6,7 there is the likelihood of Indigenous people lacking
food due to 30% of adults expressing their worries over going without food.Browne J, Laurence
S, Thorpe S. 2009.6,7State that there is a higher percentage of food limitation in remote areas due

to the high cost of about 26% in remote community general stores more than it cost a ‘basket of
food’ in Darwin supermarket. Studies from the Australian National Survey states that indigenous
people spend a greater percentage of their income (35%) on food than non-indigenous
Australians.6,7
Food insecurity is a continuous phenomenon and is brought about by many factors that are not
similar in all regions and times.
Determinants of Food Insecurity
Food insecurity among Aboriginals is associated with low income, lack of access to affordable
healthy food and overdependence on welfare groups.8Leading unhealthy life is common in these
people than non-indigenous Australians as a result of poor diet.2,4,9Spending too much on health
also results in food insecurity among the Aboriginals.10-12Aboriginals are the majority among the
indigenous group representing 90% of total indigenous Australian population.This could be the
reason for the less attention given to their rights by the government hence there is the likelihood
of becoming poorer.
The geographical location is also another determinant of food insecurity where they are unable to
access quality food and at the right time in remote areas. Aboriginals’ access to shops with high
nutritional food at a high price is the cause of food insecurity. Pope states that ‘financialization’
of food items among Australian trade unions and industries is against human rights and has led to
many people going without food since they can’t afford due to low income.10-12
Studies from National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders have found that aboriginals spend
over 35% of their income on food budget.10-12There is currently a worrying gap of food insecurity
between non-indigenous Australians and Torres Strait Islanders which raises a concern for the

ministry to take immediate measures to improve food security for Aboriginals in the country and
eradicate food-related health issues.
RECOMMENDED PUBLIC HEALTH APPROACH
PolicyExplanation
The Australian Federal government is committed to ‘closing gap’ between the indigenous and
non-indigenous Australians, specifically, the infant and child mortality gaps rate .13,14,15 Close the
gap campaign began in 2008 with an aim of enabling health equalities within a generation. This
approach is beneficial to the indigenous people but it lacks equity in all spheres disadvantaging
the indigenous people against their counterpart non-indigenous Australians.13,14,15The objective of
this policy is to bring equity in economic and social gaps in a generation of Australian people.
The following strategy is to be implemented.
 Education and training of indigenous personnel on nutrition to promote nutrition
 Enabling food access to the locals through the acquisition of general agricultural land
 Reducing monopoly of general food stores in rural areas by supplying nutritional food
 Directing more funds to the nutritional healthy eating of Aboriginals
 Provision of sufficient health ‘hardware’ such as stoves, functioning kitchens
refrigerators in Aboriginals
 Encourage locals to plant more fruits and vegetables in their agricultural land
 Implement healthy eating programs amongst Aboriginals communities.
1. Policy advantages