TY - JOUR
AU - Pautz, Hartwig
AU - Dempsey, Damian
PY - 2022
DA - May
TI - Covid-19 and the crisis of food insecurity in the UK
JO - Contemporary Social Science
DO - https://doi.org/10.1080/21582041.2022.2044069
AB - Over the past decade, food insecurity has been increasing across the United Kingdom. The 2020/21 Covid-19 global pandemic has further aggravated food insecurity. This article examines how Covid-19 affected food insecurity through, first, a review of existing literature on the UK and, second, through presenting research results from Scotland with a focus on four groups considered to be specifically vulnerable to food insecurity – namely people with a disability, the homeless, young carers, and (destitute) asylum seekers. The article finds that Covid-19 impacted food insecurity in three ways: (1) it led to rising need driven mainly by income reductions and income crises; (2) it created new and intensified food access challenges; and (3) it had a significant impact on the operation of food banks and their important ‘wrap-around’ services (e.g. benefits advice). The article concludes with a discussion of the role of the social sciences in understanding the food insecurity crisis during Covid-19. In summary, the article adds to the developing understanding of the consequences of Covid-19 on food insecurity, the effectiveness of policy measures and the role that social sciences can play in times of crisis.
PB - Taylor and Francis
UR - https://uws.pure.elsevier.com/en/publications/24515526-3589-4569-82b9-d3b8b2ee0a00
KW - Coronavirus (COVID-19)
KW - Poverty
KW - Diet, healthy weight and physical activity
ER