Simply put, “food privilege” is the ability to choose between a variety of food options, that people without privilege may not have. Food privilege can appear in different ways. Here are a few forms:
- Ability to afford nutritious food
- Ability to afford “organic” or “free range” produce
- Ability to choose between different diets
- Access to grocery stores
- Access to cultural foods
- Safe drinking water
- Time to cook a variety of meals
- Eating out at nice restaurants
- Consulting nutritionists/dietitians without medical need
What Influences food privilege?
- Income: Income determines your ability to afford food at all OR picking between Walmart or Whole Foods. People with a low income may choose the highest calorie for $ value foods to feed their families.
- Free Time: Eating nutritious food often requires cooking, prepping and cleaning food yourself. Convenient healthy food is often expensive.
- Race: Black children in America were more exposed to junk food advertisements, in relation to white children.
- Geographic location: gaining access to grocery stores within a few miles/kilometers is a big determinant of food privilege. Keep reading to learn about food swamps and food deserts.
Food Insecurity: food insecurity is the inadequate or insecure access to food due to financial constraints. It is a serious problem that negatively impacts physical, mental, and social health, and costs our healthcare system considerably. In Canada, 1 in 8 people or 4.4 million people (12.7%) are food insecure. This is approximately the population of Panama. In America, 1 in 9 people or 37 million people (11.11%) are food insecure. This is approximately the population of Canada.
Food Desert: An urban area in which it is difficult to buy affordable or good-quality fresh food. Food deserts are common in economically disadvantaged locations in America.
Food Swamps:
Geographical area with adequate access to healthy food retail, but that also features an overabundance of exposure to less healthy food and beverages.
References:
https://www.ecoandbeyond.co/articles/social-privilege-and-its-impact-on-food-choices/
Tarasuk V, Mitchell A. (2020) Household food insecurity in Canada, 2017-18. Toronto: Research to identify policy options to reduce food insecurity (PROOF). Retrieved from https://proof.utoronto.ca/
https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-access-research-atlas/go-to-the-atlas/
https://worldpopulationreview.com/countries
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/12/15/study-black-children-are-exposed-to-junk-food-ads-way-more-than-white-kids-are/
https://www.ncceh.ca/sites/default/files/Food_Deserts_Food_Swamps_Primer_Oct_2017.pdf
Nutrition Diversified 