F&Y2 trends: Chapter 3: Food security

Introduction

“Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.” World Food Summit, 1996. 

This chapter reports how food security and food bank use changed between Wave 1 (July 2020 to October 2020) and Wave 6 (October 2022 to January 2023).

Food security

Figure 13. Food security in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

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	Food secure	Food insecure
W1: Jul-20 to Oct-20	84	16
W2: Nov-20 to Jan-21	84	16
W3: Apr-21 to Jun-21	85	15
W4: Oct-21 to Jan-22	82	18
W5: Apr-22 to Jul-22	80	20
W6: Oct-22 to Jan-23	75	25

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Food and You 2: Wave 1-6

Following a period of stability between Wave 1 (July 2020 to October 2020) and Wave 3 (April 2021 to June 2021), the percentage of respondents classified as food secure (i.e., high or marginal) has notably decreased, from 85% in Wave 3 to 75% in Wave 6 (October 2022 to January 2023). Conversely, the percentage of respondents classified as food insecure (i.e., low or very low) increased, from 15% in Wave 3 to 25% in Wave 6 (Figure 13)^(footnote).

Food bank use 

Figure 14 Use of food banks and/or other emergency food providers.

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	Yes	No
W1: Jul-20 to Oct-20
W2: Nov-20 to Jan-21	6	92
W3: Apr-21 to Jun-21	4	95
W4: Oct-21 to Jan-22	4	93
W5: Apr-22 to Jul-22	3	95
W6: Oct-22 to Jan-23	3	94

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Food and You 2: Wave 1-6

Since monitoring began in Wave 2 (November 2020 to June 2021) the percentage of respondents reporting that they had received a free parcel from a food bank or other emergency food provider in the previous 12 months has slightly decreased** (Figure 14)^(footnote).