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Cited by 45Food Security and Health in Diverse PopulationsFood Security and Socioeconomic DynamicsReligion, Society, and Development

Charitable Food Systems’ Capacity to Address Food Insecurity: An Australian Capital City Audit

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Pollard, Christina M., Mackintosh, Bruce, Campbell, Cathy, Kerr, Deborah, Begley, Andrea, Jancey, Jonine, Caraher, Martin, Berg, Joel +1 more·2018·International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
DOI 10.3390/ijerph15061249PMC PMC6025598
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Abstract

Australian efforts to address food insecurity are delivered by a charitable food system (CFS) which fails to meet demand. The scope and nature of the CFS is unknown. This study audits the organisational capacity of the CFS within the 10.9 square kilometres of inner-city Perth, Western Australia. A desktop analysis of services and 12 face-to-face interviews with representatives from CFS organisations was conducted. All CFS organisations were not-for–profit and guided by humanitarian or faith-based values. The CFS comprised three indirect services (IS) sourcing, banking and/or distributing food to 15 direct services (DS) providing food to recipients. DS offered 30 different food services at 34 locations feeding over 5670 people/week via 16 models including mobile and seated meals, food parcels, supermarket vouchers, and food pantries. Volunteer to paid staff ratios were 33:1 (DS) and 19:1 (IS). System-wide, food was mainly donated and most funding was philanthropic. Only three organisations received government funds. No organisation had a nutrition policy. The organisational capacity of the CFS was precarious due to unreliable, insufficient and inappropriate financial, human and food resources and structures. System-wide reforms are needed to ensure adequate and appropriate food relief for Australians experiencing food insecurity.

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  • The workforce composition of CFAPs being predominantly female aligns with similar findings from studies in Korea, Finland, Canada, and the US, reinforcing the notion that charitable food assistance practices globally tend to be female-dominated.

    “The workforce composition of CFAPs being predominantly female (94%) aligns with similar findings from studies in Korea41, Finland42, Canada43,44, and the US45,46, reinforcing the notion that charitable food assistance practices globally tend to be female-dominated47.”

    From Food handling practices and sanitary conditions of charitable food assistance programs in eThekwini District, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (2024) · cites this paper as [47]

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References 42 · Cited by 45

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Authors
Pollard, C. M., Mackintosh, B., Campbell, C., Kerr, D., Begley, A., Jancey, J., Caraher, M., Berg, J., & Booth, S.
Affiliations
  • Curtin University (AU)
  • The University of Western Australia (AU)
  • City, University of London (GB)
  • Hunger Free America, 50 Broad Street, Suite 1103, New York 10004, NY, USA
  • Flinders University (AU)
Corresponding author
Pollard, Christina M.
ORCID
Venue
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Publisher
MDPI AG
Published
2018-06-12
Volume
15
Issue
6
Pages
1249
ISSN
1660-4601 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.3390/ijerph15061249
PMC
PMC6025598
OpenAlex
W2808105487
Cited by
45
References
42
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 1
FWCI
4.20
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • City Research Online (City University London) (acceptedVersion)
  • UWA Profiles and Research Repository (UWA) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • Flinders Academic Commons (Flinders University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • eSpace (Curtin University) (submittedVersion)
  • Flinders Academic Commons (Flinders University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Funders
Healthway (24266)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Food Security and Health in Diverse Populations
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › General Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Security and Socioeconomic Dynamics
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Religion, Society, and Development
Keywords
food insecurity, organizational capacity, food banks, food pantries, food aid, food donation, philanthropic funding, nutrition policy, food poverty, Perth
MeSH terms
Charities, Cities, Food Supply, Humans, Management Audit, Organizations, Nonprofit, Volunteers, Western Australia, Nutrition Policy, Food Assistance

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