Project name
Cultural Food Insecurity in Diverse Ethnocultural Immigrant Communities
Project overview
This community-based participatory research, in collaboration with the Multicultural Health Brokers Co-op (MCHB) in Edmonton, Alberta, explores cultural food insecurity among diverse ethnocultural immigrant communities. This work amplifies the voices of these communities regarding their food insecurity experiences and challenges in navigating food systems to acquire culturally appropriate foods.
The project provides insights into how food insecurity manifests differently in Canada's ethnocultural communities. The findings contribute to understanding the intersection of food security, cultural identity, and immigrant integration. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of cultural food insecurity and its impacts on immigrant communities, informing future interventions and policy development.
Project Four
Objectives
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Examine the food insecurity experiences of ethnocultural immigrants served by MCHB through an online survey co-administered by MCHB health brokers.
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Explore specific challenges related to food security unique to various cultural groups.
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Investigate the meaning and importance of cultural foods among diverse immigrant communities.
Key
Findings
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High rates of food insecurity (89%) was found among participants who are from diverse ethnocultural backgrounds including South-Asian, English and French-speaking African communities Vietnamese, Eastern European (including Ukrainian), Arabic-speaking, and Kurdish-speaking immigrant and refugee families
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Participants have faced significant challenges in accessing culturally appropriate foods to meet their dietary and household needs
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Barriers to food security included unemployment, limited income, and lack of awareness of support services available to them
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Inability to access, and afford culturally appropriate foods significantly impacted physical, mental, and social well-being of participants