Policy responses to food insecurity in remote Indigenous communities: Social security, store pricing and Indigenous food sovereignty

The proportion of remote-living Indigenous people who lived in a household that ran out of food, and could not afford to purchase more, increased from 32.8% to 38.6% between 20122013 and 20182019. This paper outlines policy options to respond to the increasing prevalence of remote Indigenous food insecurity. We argue that while it may be possible to reduce the price of food in remote stores to some degree, the cost of commercial food provision in remote Indigenous communities is likely to remain high in comparison to larger Australian towns and cities. Accordingly, policy responses should look to other means for increasing food security beyond reducing prices. We suggest that increasing social security payments and removing barriers currently impeding Indigenous communities from pursuing food sovereignty are the most promising avenues for increasing Indigenous food security. Relaxing the mutual obligations requirements facing social security recipients and supporting social enterprises would assist Indigenous communities to engage in customary food provisioning. A version of this Topical Issue was provided to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Indigenous Affairs Inquiry into food pricing and food security in remote Indigenous communities in June 2020.