Food Culture
Research question:
What is the commonness of food insecurity among international students in Canada?
Thesis:
1.international students’ limitations to the use of food pantry
2.Effect of food insecurity on international students
3.Barriers to access to healthy and preferable food by international students
INTRODUCTION
There has been a widespread increase in food insecurity among international students, is estimated to be around 30 to 40 percent. (Caroll,2020). Food insecurity in Canada has been mainly caused by racism; color differences. Blacks are the ones who suffer more from food insecurities. Food insecurity affects international students in a negative way, which includes; lowering of grades, increased dropouts. The rising food insecurities among international students have raised the following questions; the setbacks of using the food pantry? effects of food insecurity on international students and barriers to access healthy and preferable food by international students?
LITERATURE REVIEW
There has been an increasing rate of food insecurities among international students in Canada due to racism. Increased racism rate has led to the consecutive increase in the negative side-effects among the people from a different race. They include; increased drop out rate and deterioration in the grades. The effects result from a lack of stability in the international students’ in their studies as food security is not only a want but an essential requirement. The barriers which bring about the inability to access healthy and preferable food by an international student is; the lack of international students to ability to afford the available food; where there is limitation of places where one can access food and unavailable stores where one can access food with no sort of hindrances when in campus and out of campus(Alhamadi,2020). The lack of literacy of international students on dietary foods due to limited access to the kitchen and cooking makes them unaware of how to get a healthy diet. The increased habit of starving makes the students go with the consumption of an unhealthy diet by majorly rely on consumption of some junk food, which makes them ignorant of dietary caution to obtain the foods which lead to a balanced diet. Food is relatively expensive than expected, the inequality in the income distribution to the international student, limiting their accessibility to healthy foods Caroll,2020). Although the food banks are meant to help sort out international students’ food insecurity problems, there are some limitations to its workability. The limitations include; unpredictable supply of food, which causes the limited supply of food which may result in a reduction in the supply of food to the international students hindering their choices, The other limitation of the food bank is the high demand expenditure it demands while does not equate to supply of food to the international students’ needs (Caroll,2020)., Inadequate resources to satisfy to the increasing students demand therefore the limitations of the food banks, inconvenient hours for international students to access the food pantry, insufficient information on the rules on using pantry and social stigmas.
Results
Food insecurity is a common challenge to international students as most forgo meals; only a few access the food. Increasing food insecurities directly affects student performance, which is seen in; students’ health deterioration, grades that affect the graduation rates (Alhamadi,2020). There is a restrictive environment in learning institutions, limiting the students to access their dietary needs easily. The food pantry did not provide adequate food for all the international students.
There is an increased cost of living for international students. The increasing cost of living of students is depicted by the increasing rental rates and other basics such as hospital servicing charges among the international students, which has led to the increasing cost expenditures for the students limiting the ability of students to access the food diets as they inadequately meet the food of needs due to decrease in marginal propensity to consume by the students as their cost of living dictate. This makes international students choose to forego their food needs to get an education.
The increase in food shortage is majorly through the decrease in the food storage capacity, which decreases the quantity of food that can fully satisfy the students’ total needs (Alhamadi,2020). The shortages of food are generally consistent over a period, leading to a decrease in the people’s dietary requirements.
The increase in food insecurity results from racism; the international students are the majority who face a disproportional supply of food due to their races. Food inadequacy is most rampant due to soaring discrimination in healthcare, schools, workplaces as well. The increased inflation affects international students directly or indirectly. The environment limits international students; campuses limit them to access the food due to inconvenient time and expensive foods. There is the unavailability of good schools, which are meant for the non-racial; this brings about the inaccessibility of food needs the students to require. Indirectly affect is through; international students’ parents due to the discrimination on the jobs leads to lower-wage payments, which lead to a lack of enough finances to cater to their needs. This makes international students choose to forego their food needs to get an education or an increased drop out.
Most international students suffered from financial strain that increased their vulnerability to food insecurity; hence finance was a barrier to accessing preferable food. International students were found to deal with social, economic, and cultural barriers to accessing their food choices (Bakar, 2019). International students who majorly face food insecurity find it hard to meet other needs such as tuition, rent, and other necessities in their livelihood. The loans offered to international students do not wholly cater to the students’ food security necessities. To solve the problem, some interventions help solve the financial difficulties; These are done through; the increased financial support to the international students helps the students efficiently cater to their financial requirements to sustain their financial needs. The high costs of the campus foods limit international students to afford to demand them (Alhamadi,2020 easily). The raising of awareness among the students on the need for a balanced diet and organizations on measures to help understand why the provision of food adequately is essential in their education.
In most cases, international students choose to forego their food security requirements to have the education to help strengthen their social cultures, which do not necessarily guarantee full employment to them or higher wages to sustain their food securities. There has been a strong union between universities and teachers to help elucidate the problem of food insecurities. The program was through; crisis task forces, introducing new funds to help solve the food insecurity crisis, housing options, and the care packages.
Discussion
International students’ food insecurity is majorly due to the lack of financial resources or inadequacy, which prevent one from gaining academic and health success(Chen,2019). To a large extent, performance has gone hand in hand with food security. Providing adequate food to the international students helps reduce worries, brings the power of control of their things to themselves, instills independence among the students, and uses their money rather than relying on others. It will bring financial stability to the students (Chen,2019).
Food security helps the students focus on their studies and better their grades as they have no distress on even other issues. The focus on their studies helps in the dropping down of the soaring rates of school dropout rates as they can sustain to the food; do not strain to remain in school.
Food security brings about a decrease in frustration levels; the sustaining food requirements leads to an increase in meeting the other needs such as rent and different essential needs. The sustaining of needs leads to an increased level of students’ mental stability(Bakar, 2019). The study helps to supplement the urge to enlarge food security to students to bring about self-empowerment, which is positive to growth to some necessities such as high growth of health costs and increased school fees costs.
Problems
Only partial data is due to recent studies, which does not give the ideal results to solve problems. The time factor, the time to complete the survey to come and about a particular subject, is insufficient.
Conclusion
Food insecurity can only be built through solid foundations, which helps ensure food consistency by international students. The study of how to reduce the food securities ia not without a clear understanding of the impediments to achieve international students’ food securities. The clear analysis of factors affecting the supply of the food necessities. A survey done gives data or statistics, which helps plan what to solve before analyzing data are given and lengthen (Bakar, 2019). Ways have been raised to increase the food security of the international students to help solve the issues through; Subsidization by the government to the companies which will help in the provision of food needs for the international student and the increased financial aid to students which is in the form of loans for the students to help them cater for the food needs. The other way to advance food security provision to international students is to increase knowledge on the importance of food security to the international students and build capacity to provide food to the environments, especially campus. The ability is enhanced through; giving market farmers campus food vouchers and increased education on nutrition and the enlightenment on how to cook to know the dietary requirements.
References
Ahmadi, S. M., Laban, S., & Primeau, C. (2020). Hungry for Knowledge: Assessing the Prevalence of Food Insecurity at the University of Guelph.
Bakar, W. A. M. A., Ismail, S., Sidek, S., & Rahman, R. A. (2019). Prevalence and factors are affecting food insecurity among university students in Pahang, Malaysia. Malaysian Journal of Nutrition, 25(1).
Carroll, L. J., & Côté, P. (2019). Is Food Insecurity Associated with Psychological Distress in Undergraduate University Students? A Cross-Sectional Study. Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition, 1-16.
Chen, A., & Natcher, D. (2019). Greening Canada’s Arctic food system: Local food procurement strategies for combating food insecurity. Canadian Food Studies/La Revue Canadienne des études sur l’alimentation, 6(1), 140-154.
Marquis, M., Talbot, A., Sabourin, A., & Riopel, C. (2019). Exploring environmental, personal, and behavioral factors as determinants for university students’ food behavior. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 43(1), 113-122.
Temple, J. B., Booth, S., & Pollard, C. M. (2019). Social assistance payments and food insecurity in Australia: Evidence from the household expenditure survey. International journal of environmental research and public health, 16(3), 455.
Von Maltzahn, A. (2019). INVESTIGATING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HOUSEHOLD FOOD INSECURITY AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AMONG NOVA SCOTIA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS.