Gather + Grow

Introduction

Access to affordable, quality and healthy food is key to preventing chronic disease and living a healthy life. In remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, factors such as geographical isolation, housing issues, limited economic opportunities, harsh climate, as well as long and complex supply chains make it harder to access healthy food, which impacts health and wellbeing. Health and Wellbeing Queensland is addressing this through Gather + Grow, a program focused on improving food security in Far North Queensland and the Lower Gulf.

As part of Gather + Grow, Health and Wellbeing Queensland is monitoring the cost and affordability of food and drinks. In Queensland, these important factors have not been tracked recently, particularly in remote regions.

In response, Health and Wellbeing Queensland developed the Diet Affordability Monitoring project to investigate 2 related metrics: diet cost and diet affordability.

The project provides insight into diet-related cost-of-living pressures across Queensland, highlights areas at greatest food security risk and can be used to guide solutions.

What we did

Diet cost has been monitored annually. In 2023 and 2024, diet cost was monitored in 35 communities across 6 Queensland regions:

Data were collected and analysed using an evidence-based tool – the Healthy Diets Australian Standardised Affordability and Pricing (Healthy Diets ASAP) protocol. Data were collected between September and December of 2023 and 2024. Data were collected by visiting community food/drink outlets in person, partnering with store groups and collecting data online.

Data were then analysed to calculate the fortnightly cost of 2 diets:

1. A healthy diet based on the Australian Dietary Guidelines
2. A usual (proxy) diet based on ‘usual’ dietary practices identified by the 2011–2013 National Health Survey. It reflects a less healthy diet as most Australians are not meeting the Australian Dietary Guidelines.

The diet cost and affordability were calculated relative to a 6 person Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander multi-generation household (i.e. older people, adults and children). This household type was selected because large households are at increased risk of food insecurity and this household structure was considered the most representative of the remote communities included in this study.

Diet affordability results were compared to 2 well-accepted benchmarks:

1. Food stress: when the diet cost is >25% of household income, and,
2. Food is unaffordable: when the diet cost is >30% of household income.

Further information on methodology is available upon request.

What we found

Across Queensland, a 6 person Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander household is likely to be experiencing food stress (no matter where in Queensland they live or what diet they consume).

These households could save over $500 per fortnight by shopping healthier. A healthy diet was, on average, 30% cheaper than the less healthy diet.

In the first year of data collection (2023), healthy diets were, on average, 1/3 more expensive in remote Far North Queensland compared to non-remote regions. In 2024, healthy diets became significantly cheaper (24% cheaper) in remote regions. The same diet did not significantly change in cost in non-remote Queensland regions. As a result, healthy diets cost approximately the same in remote Far North and non-remote Queensland areas in 2024.

In 2024, the Queensland Government introduced the Remote Communities Freight Assistance Scheme (RCFAS). The RCFAS applied a 20% discount on essential goods (including groceries) in participating remote Far North Queensland stores. The discount was not applied in non-remote regions (i.e. Brisbane and Cairns) and was not applied in 2023.

Why are these findings important?

• Findings are consistent with previous literature, confirming healthy diets are cheaper than the usual (proxy) diet in Queensland.
• Diet cost and affordability are significant factors of food security. However, there are many other influencing factors of food security that also need to be addressed. For example, food quality and availability.
• Disparities in diet cost between non-remote and remote locations are driven by a variety of complex factors (including inequities such as income, long and complex supply chains and geographic isolation). Addressing these challenges requires a strategic response involving multiple sectors (for example, government and non-government organisations working together). Gather + Grow is one mechanism to co-ordinate systemic action in Far North Queensland. Other policy opportunities include the National Remote First Nations Food Security Strategy.
• As a monitoring project, this project generates data and evidence that can be used to inform decision making and health advocacy.
• On-going annual monitoring is recommended. To build on the project, partnership with local organisations to support data collection is required.

What’s next?

Data and evidence generated through this project is being shared with cross-sector and community stakeholders to inform policy and decision making.

Health and Wellbeing Queensland will continue to annually monitor the cost and affordability of diets across Queensland.

Get in touch

If you have questions about the project or would like to partner with us, please get in touch at hwqld_gathergrow@hw.qld.gov.au