There has been a starving student trope across our campus over the past few years, in which students are humouring and normalizing their lack of access to nutritious, affordable food and instead are living on things like instant noodles and too much coffee. The student population at Trent faces an underestimated educational problem of food insecurity.
Data from our local area of Peterborough and the Kawarthas reveal that food insecurity is an ongoing issue that affects approximately 16.5 percent of households, representing one in five families that face difficulties in providing enough food for their needs. At Canadian post-secondary institutions, the situation becomes more severe, as nearly 40 percent of students suffer from various degrees of food insecurity.
The main issues at Trent University are seen through factors which include insufficient OSAP funding, especially now with the increase in loans, tuition fees that continue to rise, and housing market conditions that prevent students from managing their rent and expenses. Additionally, first-year students have been hit the hardest if they are living on campus, as our current meal plan, which is a requirement for all on-campus students, only covers roughly 2 meals a day, if that, and our dining halls do not have a lot of healthy options. Moreover, most residences do not have full kitchens; dining halls close early, and there are few convenient options for food elsewhere, and the other ‘food’ options are packaged with processed food in vending machines.
It is important to note that food insecurity exists on a spectrum that ranges from marginal anxiety about running out of food to severe instances where students skip meals or go entire days without eating. The experiences of each student are varied, especially for those who have dietary or religious food restrictions.
As research has shown, chronic food insecurity leads to permanent physical health problems, such as diabetes and hypertension, together with long-lasting mental health conditions such as anxiety disorders, depression, and insomnia. Arguably, students suffer when they cannot
concentrate because they are hungry, or when they are forced to decide between buying a textbook or spending money on food.
The Trent community has various groups to help respond to food insecurity, such as our breakfast programs and other easy grab-and-go food, the TCSA One-Stop Chop Food Pantry, the Seasoned Spoons multiple initiatives, and the Punch a Lunch programs, which provide immediate essential relief to people who need help. However, we must recognize these solutions as temporary fixes which do not create sustainable solutions for hungry students. These programs focus on treating hunger symptoms instead of eliminating the actual reason for hunger, which is poverty.
The solution for student food insecurity requires us to do more than temporary charity work and start permanent justice work. The process begins with removing the stigma attached to food access difficulties and establishing that food is a human right. Arguably, our university administration needs to take more accountability and reduce the fees. We need to create a campus situation where students view food security as vital to their health and academic success. Hopefully, with time and policy changes that we must demand, students will be able to better protect their health while also pursuing their education at Trent.
This blog was written by Darien Kenny.
References
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The Seasoned Spoon. (n.d.). Food initiatives at the Spoon and at Trent. https://www.seasonedspoon.ca/other-student-run-food-initiatives The TCSA. (n.d.). One-Stop Chop Food Pantry. https://trentcentral.ca/onestop-chop-food-pantry The TCSA. (n.d.). Punch a Lunch. https://trentcentral.ca/punch-a-lunch
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