Food and nutrition insecurity in high‑income countries is increasingly persistent, driven by intersecting economic, social and environmental disruptions. In Australia, acute shocks such as the COVID‑19 pandemic, floods and bushfires, alongside chronic pressures including rising food prices, housing stress and concentrated corporate power, have exposed structural weaknesses in food access, governance and system resilience. This review examines how community‑led responses to food and nutrition insecurity function during disruption, whether they buffer short-term hardship or contribute to adaptive capacity and redistribution of agency. Guided by the six‑pillar food security framework and a socio-ecological model, responses are examined across household, community, organisational and governance levels. A continuum of responses is identified, ranging from downstream emergency food relief that buffers immediate hardship through to community and organisational food infrastructure that strengthens local resilience and governance‑level responses with greater transformative potential. Drawing on this synthesis, we propose the SEEDS (Socio-Ecological Enablers of Dietary Security) Model, which conceptualises how food system responses across socio-ecological levels and over time can progress from buffering (acute) to adaptation (medium‑term) and ultimately transformation (long‑term). Central to this framework is a shift in decision‑making power, accountability and participation. While many initiatives improve food access and short‑term stability during crises, the greatest potential for transformation lies where responses are embedded within governance structures, enable meaningful community participation and influence policy, procurement and resource allocation. Implications for public health nutrition practice include expanded roles in systems leadership, cross‑sector governance and advocacy for upstream policy reform.

Food insecurity (FI) has increased in recent years due to economic shifts and rising food prices, with 13.6% of UK households experiencing FI, 47% including children in 2024. Following PRISMA guidelines, this systematic review with narrative synthesis explored the impact of UK interventions addressing FI for children, families, and pregnant women. Seven databases and two clinical trial registers were systematically searched for articles published between 2008–November 2023 (rapid search November 2023–February 2026). Peer-reviewed intervention studies were eligible if they were conducted in the UK, had an experimental design, targeted at least one FI pillar (accessibility, utilisation, availability, and stability) and if most participants were children aged 0–11 years, families with at least one child 0–11 years, or pregnant women. 18,225 articles were identified (rapid search identified 5,514); 11 intervention studies were included (rapid search n = 2). Types of interventions included cooking interventions (n = 4), free school meals (n = 3), holiday clubs (n = 2), supermarket vouchers (n = 1), and food bags (n = 1). Food availability was targeted in seven studies, food accessibility and utilisation in five, and food stability in one, one study included FI as an outcome. The interventions demonstrated barriers and facilitators to inform future intervention development. Most studies were considered serious or critical risk of bias. A lack of high-quality interventions addressing FI were identified. The additional studies reflected the evidence from the original studies. Government policies and funding are needed to relieve FI. Research needs to co-develop acceptable interventions and evaluate their effectiveness to reduce FI among families.

Food insecurity and child mental health difficulties frequently intersect, yet the mechanisms and pathways connecting them remain underexplored in resource-limited settings. This study developed a contextually grounded explanatory model to examine these relationships within a single rural Ugandan setting. We conducted 12 focus group discussions with 36 teachers across four schools in Masaka district, drawing on their sustained observations of children’s food insecurity and mental health difficulties across a nine-month timeframe. Data were analysed using realist thematic analysis, supported by iterative coding, nine consensus meetings and member checking. Three interrelated pathways were identified. In the social causation pathway, food insecurity, manifested through hunger-related stress, food-related stigma and irregular or inadequate meals, preceded and contributed to mental health difficulties. In the social drift pathway, preexisting mental health difficulties among caregivers and/or children disrupted household functioning and food provision, increasing vulnerability to food insecurity. A bidirectional pathway captured recursive processes in which food insecurity and mental health difficulties co-evolved and reinforced one another over time. These pathways shaped children’s mental health and educational engagement within school environments. The findings offer context-specific insights that may inform research in similar settings. They also highlight the potential value of integrated, multi-level interventions, while underscoring the need for longitudinal and intervention research.

Food insecurity (FI), defined as unreliable access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food, affects nearly 10 million people in the UK. However, official statistics often exclude individuals relying on informal or non-referral-based food support, rendering their experiences largely invisible. This study explores how users and volunteers experience and interpret FI in charity-run, community-based food aid settings across England, an area under-represented in UK studies which are dominated by formal, referral-based food bank models. This qualitative study employed a hermeneutic phenomenological approach to understand the lived experiences of FI. Nineteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of food bank users (n = 10) and volunteers (n = 9). Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis (TA). The socio-ecological model (SEM) was used to structure analysis across five levels: individual, interpersonal, institutional, community, and policy levels. Five interconnected themes emerged across the socio-ecological model: (1) Individual: Mental Health, Stigma and Shame; (2) Interpersonal: Caregiving Responsibilities and Sacrifice; (3) Institutional: Chronic Food Aid Reliance and Nutritional Constraints; (4) Community: Informal Networks and Support; and (5) Public Policy: Welfare Inadequacy and Political Neglect. Volunteers also played a mediating role between systems and individuals, navigating logistical burdens and emotional labour. The findings highlight the multidimensional and structured nature of FI in the UK and offer new insights into how dignity, autonomy, and nutritional adequacy are negotiated within informal food support systems. The study calls for more sustainable, community-responsive food aid models and structural policy reforms addressing poverty, inequality, and the legal right to food.

This qualitative study explores how wage and payment practices inflict both economic hardship and psychological distress among tea garden workers in Sylhet and Moulvibazar. Using an interpretivist approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 purposively sampled workers in Sylhet. Transcripts in Bengali and the local Sylheti dialect were evaluated using reflexive thematic analysis. The findings reveal six key themes centered on the psychological impacts of wage insufficiency, unpredictable payment schedules, disproportionate quota penalties, and opaque deductions. Participants identified low base wages as the primary driver of chronic food insecurity and debt cycles. Furthermore, systemic issues like delayed payments, poor-quality rations, and gendered care burdens severely exacerbated their acute stress. Workers expressed their psychological suffering through culturally encoded idioms such as tension, chinta (worry), and khitkhite (irritability). Ultimately, the study highlights that workers' top priorities for mitigating distress include fair and sufficient wages, transparent payment systems, food security, and accessible healthcare. These findings emphasize that improving mental well-being in this vulnerable population requires systemic reforms in payment governance.

Eco-anxiety is an emerging mental health concern among adolescents, particularly in regions affected by climate-related disasters. Following the 2023 wildfires in Canada’s Northwest Territories (NWT), this study examined associations between wildfire exposure severity, socio-ecological factors, and eco-anxiety among adolescents in the NWT. We conducted a cross-sectional survey with 290 adolescents aged 13–18 years across NWT secondary schools during the 2023–2024 school year. Structural equation modelling examined pathways linking social factors (gender, sexual orientation, Indigenous identity), living conditions (rural residence, caregiver status), structural conditions (food insecurity, wildfire exposure severity) and eco-anxiety. Self-esteem was examined as a moderator. Participants had a mean age of 13.7 years; most identifyied as Indigenous and lived in rural communities. Greater wildfire exposure severity and food insecurity were associated with higher eco-anxiety. Girls, LGBQ+ youth and rural youth reported higher eco-anxiety. Indigenous identity was indirectly associated with eco-anxiety through food insecurity and wildfire exposure severity. Higher self-esteem was associated with lower eco-anxiety and buffered the relationship between wildfire exposure and eco-anxiety. Findings suggest that eco-anxiety among NWT adolescents is shaped by climate-related disruption and social conditions. Interventions can address psychosocial resources and material conditions to support NWT youth mental health following climate-related disasters such as wildfires.

College students (those enrolled in two- and four-year postsecondary institutions) with caregiving responsibilities for children or other dependents face unique challenges balancing academic and caregiving duties. This scoping review aimed to describe the prevalence of food insecurity among United States college student caregivers and their experiences with food insecurity, dietary quality/intake, academic outcomes, and food security programming. A search of peer-reviewed and grey literature was conducted in four databases: CINAHL, Google Scholar, Embase, and Medline. Identified articles were evaluated against inclusion criteria. Of 162 articles identified, 61 articles met eligibility criteria and underwent data extraction and descriptive analysis. Forty-two articles (69%) reported the prevalence of food insecurity among college student caregivers, with prevalence ranging from 9% to 79%. Single parents, students of colour, LGBTQ+ individuals, and those with multiple dependents had increased food insecurity risk. Thirteen studies examined dietary patterns, finding caregiving students prioritised feeding their children, reduced their own meal sizes, and chose low-cost, low-nutrient foods due to budget constraints. Academic challenges included difficulties in time management and scheduling stress. No studies examined Grade Point Average (GPA) or academic performance. Thirteen studies identified the use of food assistance programmes. Food assistance programmes were underutilised due to limitations such as restricted pantry hours and availability. Housing insecurity frequently co-occurred with food insecurity. Food insecurity disproportionately affects college student caregivers compared to non-caregiving students. Comprehensive programming is needed to support food and nutrition security, including connections to government and university food assistance programmes, childcare services, and programme modifications to reduce barriers to academic success for caregiving students.

Food insecurity (FI), defined as unreliable access to healthy, nutritious food, is a major health concern in higher-income countries, primarily due to its association with an increased risk of obesity. Supermarket-based interventions may influence population-level food purchasing behaviour, an antecedent to consumption. It is unclear whether there are specific characteristics that these interventions should employ to resonate with vulnerable groups. This scoping review aimed to explore the characteristics of supermarket-based interventions that sought to support healthier and/or more environmentally sustainable food purchasing for people living with obesity, overweight (PLWO/Ow), and/or FI.

A systematic literature search, conducted in Medline, Embase, CINAHL, Scopus, and Web of Science databases, identified 35 eligible studies, representing 43 interventions. Title and abstract screening and data extraction were conducted independently by two reviewers. Most interventions focused on supporting the purchase of healthy food items. No study applied a validated measure of FI. Area-level demographic data were used to identify FI-related characteristics (i.e., area of low income, low socio-economic status) and, in some cases, those living with obesity. Interventions utilised the behaviour change levers of price (n = 8), promotion (n = 2), placement (n = 7), nudges (n = 4), and education (n = 2), or a combination of these (n = 20). High heterogeneity in the way behavioural change levers were operationalised and combined, alongside the use of proxy measures to identify FI and PLWO/Ow, makes it difficult to determine the most supportive intervention characteristics. This presents challenges in understanding how to best facilitate changes in purchasing patterns in favour of heathy, sustainable food items in this population.

This study explored the relationship between dairy technology adoption (DTA), crop diversification and food security among smallholder farmers practicing mixed agriculture in Bason Werana Woreda, North Shewa Zone, Amhara Region. A systematic sampling method selected 252 households from two randomly chosen government administrative areas (kebeles), proportional to size. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and an endogeneity-corrected recursive conditional mixed process regression model to examine bidirectional causation. Findings showed a 34% adoption rate of dairy technology, with improved housing and vaccination being the most common, while artificial insemination and improved breeds had the lowest adoption. The Herfindahl Iindex for crop diversification was 0.31, indicating a lower-middle level. Food security analysis, based on the Food Consumption Score, revealed that 78.57% of households were food secure, while 16.27% and 5.16% had borderline and poor food security, respectively. The regression results indicated that DTA significantly improves food security, and vice versa, but no causal relationship was found between these factors and crop diversification. The study identified key household-level and policy-related variables that are critical for enhancing DTA and addressing food insecurity. Overall, the findings underscore the importance of designing and promoting context-specific, locally optimal agricultural strategies that are closely aligned with household characteristics. Such alignment is essential for advancing dairy sector development and improving the welfare of smallholder farmers in Ethiopia.