Australian food security pulse check survey
Understanding food insecurity in Australia
Australia has experienced chronic and rising food insecurity since the early 1990s, when the first Foodbank opened in NSW. Rates of food insecurity rose sharply in the wake of the post-COVID inflation-driven cost of living crisis, with Foodbank Australia’s 2025 Hunger Report indicating that 1 in 3 Australians were experiencing moderate to severe food insecurity.
Millions of Australians were therefore already highly vulnerable as we entered 2026. On February 28, 2026, the United States and Israel launched major hostilities against Iran. Shortly after, Iran took steps to bring about the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, resulting in an initial 70% oil price spike. This unprecedented combination of events has produced what Fatih Birol, Director of the International Energy Agency, termed ‘the worst energy crisis in history’, far surpassing those of the 1970s.
The launch of the war generated a flood of media stories and headlines about rising food insecurity and frontline agencies turning those seeking assistance away and closing their waiting lists. More broadly, the outbreak of war in such a globally critical chokepoint for critical resources (oil, natural gas, urea fertiliser, ammonia, sulphuric acid) raised levels of anxiety about food security and food supplies.
In April 2026 Sustain: the Australian Food Network conducted a Food Security Pulse
Check Survey, with the following aims:
1. To test sentiment regarding levels of concern about i) food affordability (prices) and ii) food availability (supply)
2. To understand what changes respondents were already making to their food shopping and consumption behaviours
3. To invite respondents to identify their top priorities for the Federal government as it proceeds with the development of Feeding Australia, the National Food Security Strategy
Food Security Pulse Check Survey
In April 2026 Sustain: the Australian Food Network conducted a Food Security Pulse Check Survey, with the following aims:
- Understand levels of concern about a) food affordability (prices) and b) food availability (supply)
- Understand behavioural changes respondents were making in terms of food shopping and consumption
- Identify top priorities for the Federal government as it proceeds with the development of Feeding Australia, the National Food Security Strategy
Key findings
Respondents are very worried about food affordability (rising prices). With an average score of 7.8 out of 10 to indicate levels of concern (0 being not worried at all, 10 being extremely concerned). 48.2% (n=326) indicated that they were extremely concerned about food price rises (Fig 1 below).
Respondents are very worried about food availability (security of supply). With an average score of 7.2 out of 10 to indicate levels of concern (0 being not worried at all, 10 being extremely concerned). 40.5% (n=274) indicated that they were extremely concerned about supply disruptions and shortages (Fig 2).
A large majority (85.2%, n=576) said that they had already noticed food prices rising where they shop.
A large majority have already made changes in their shopping and/or eating behaviours. 62.1% are looking for more specials and discounts; 42.5% are eating out less; and 26.3% are eating cheaper foods more frequently.
Concerningly, 4.1% reported that they are skipping meals more frequently. Only 16.3% said that they hadn’t made any changes yet (see Fig 3 below)
Top priorities
The top two priorities for Feeding Australia from respondents were:
- Support farmers to transition to more sustainable and lower-input forms of production (30%, n=187)
- Tackle concentrations of corporate power such as the supermarket duopoly (29%, n=181) (see Figure 4 below)
Key messages
175 respondents provided additional comments on the matters raised by the survey. The comments generated several key themes, including:
- There must be systemic and structural solutions
- Tackle the power of the supermarket duopoly
- Cost of living assistance must be provided to those who need it during the crisis
- Support for farmers to transition to lower-input production and for sustainable transport options
- Support for farmers to access the diesel they need
- Support for strengthening local and community food systems
- Tackling food waste and support for plant-based diets
Food is a need for life like oxygen and water. Everyone deserves access to good quality fresh food, and especially in Australia, no-one should be going hungry.”
Survey respondent
Recommendations
Based on the survey results and in view of the worsening food security crisis, Sustain recommends that:
- The Federal government recognises that Australia faces a severe food security crisis and that it elevates food security as a key pillar of national security
- The Federal government acknowledges the damaging impacts that concentrated corporate power has in the Australian food system and commits to shifting more decision-making power and resources to community-led food security initiatives, organisations and enterprises
- The Federal and state governments allocate substantial resourcing for food security now. This resourcing must include:
- Additional funding for frontline agencies to meet immediate need
- Funding for community-led responses to food insecurity that go beyond emergency food relief
- Funding for local government and community coordination of local food security efforts, through the creation of local food security partnerships
- The Federal and state governments commit to addressing the structural causes of food poverty and food insecurity in Australia, above all through expansion of social and affordable housing and above-poverty levels of welfare benefits
- These measures should be funded through redistributive taxation measures such as a wealth tax and windfall profits tax
- The Federal and state governments recognise the need to support Australian farmers to transition to less input-dependent, more regenerative and more resilient forms of agriculture, through the creation of a national Centre for Sustainable Agriculture
- The Federal and state governments recognise the critical role communities are playing and will play in meeting the food security crisis, by resourcing local governments to work with community representatives to develop and implement community food resilience and food security plans
About the survey
The survey was designed using Survey Monkey and distributed through Sustain’s social media platforms and via our e-newsletter (3,600 subscribers). Several ally and partner organisations also distributed the survey through their networks, notably the food box home delivery enterprise Box Divvy. The survey is therefore not a statistically representative sample of the Australian population as a whole. Rather, it is a snapshot into the sentiment and perspectives of a substantial number of respondents at a critical point in the early months of this unfolding crisis.
676 respondents completed the survey. Of these:
- Just over 50% were under 50, with the largest cohort (37.4%) aged 35-49. 87% of respondents identified as women.
- 62% were employed with a further 12% self-employed and 16% retired.
- 53.5% have child and / or adult dependents.
- 12% stated they speak a language other than English at home, 8% said they have a disability, 5% identified as LGBTQIA+, and 1.5% as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.
- There were respondents from every state and territory, with the overwhelming majority (88%) from NSW (65%) and Victoria (23%).
Analysis of the survey and reporting activities are supported by Box Divvy.
For media inquiries:
Nick Rose, PhD, Executive Director, [email protected] / 0414 497 819