This research identifies the level of food insecurity and particular risk groups in a sample population. The theoretical introduction defines food insecurity, which is based on four pillars (availability, access, use, stability). It also highlights previously recognized risk groups such as women, the unemployed, single parent households etc. and briefly overlooks the social and medical effects of living through food insecurity. It additionally deals with the methodological challenges of this particular subject. Most research on food insecurity is based on natural sciences using proxy measurements, which leads to inadequate understanding of the problem and consequently its possible solutions . The paper continues by addressing the reasons for an increase in food insecurity due to changing food systems, population growth and climate change. It also mentions the role social work must take in addressing food insecurity (inquiring, advocating, empowering, coordinating), which begins with a change in its own teaching curriculum (additional focus on ecology and the interaction of humans with their environment).
The methodology is based on calculations of food insecurity scores for individual respondents. It continues by calculations of averages for different demographic subgroups (based on employment, education, household size, status, etc.) and comparing them one to another. From these comparisons, trends are determined. The main findings of this research are: lower education on average means a higher food insecurity score, inhabitants of small settlements are on average more food-secure than those living in big settlements, students living alone have on average a higher food insecurity score than those living in bigger households, and the unemployed have on average an up to four times higher food insecurity score than other social subgroups. Based on the findings of a small, unrepresentative sample size, I recommend the following steps: a more in-depth research of risk groups such as students and the unemployed, support of community gardens in urban environments as a way of alleviating food insecurity and empowering the community, and finally, a bigger focus on ecology in social work education.
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