Current Students

Food security

Ensuring every student can thrive—through immediate support, skill building, and systemic change that addresses one of the most pressing challenges facing our community

See initiatives
Read our strategy
Personalise
Students chatting while eating food at a table indoors on Kensington Campus

Initiatives designed for immediate relief to lasting solutions

Too many UNSW students face a daily reality of choosing between groceries, rent, bills and meals. Our 2024 Belonging Survey revealed the urgent scale of food insecurity on campus—a complex challenge shaped by cost-of-living pressures, housing instability, and time constraints.
57% full-time students

experience moderate to severe food insecurity (Foodbank Hunger Report 2022).

62% university students

skip meals due to financial stress (National Union of Students 2023 Student Wellbeing Survey).

See also

Our three-pronged approach to addressing food security 

In collaboration with Arc - UNSW Student Life, we have created a Food Security Strategy to address the challenges students face in accessing affordable, nutritious food. These initiatives include:

Rapid relief

Immediate access to free meals and essentials through the Food Hub and campus-wide programs.

Skill building

Cooking classes and food literacy programs that empower students with lifelong capabilities.

Systemic support

Long-term solutions including affordable food options and comprehensive basic needs services.

See the details of our Food Security Strategy

The above initiatives are not the end of our efforts. We are working to expand our services to offer sustainable skill building and systemic support for students facing food insecurity. These include creating a Basic Needs Hub, a UNSW canteen and 24/7 Food Hub lockers.

The Food Security Strategy is part of UNSW's larger goal to create Progress for All. Our initiatives are designed in alignment with the University's Societal Impact Framework, focusing on the below Strategic Pillars to ensure measurable progress.

Through accessible education, empower current and future generations

Continually improve in student satisfaction, education experience and belonging.

Convene across sectors and build networks locally and globally

Expand and deepen our partnerships and networks for societal impact.

Accelerate the transition to a sustainable society and planet

Reduce waste generation by 30% through prevention, recycling and reuse.

Advance economic and social prosperity

Reduce at least half of the proportion of all the people living in poverty.

Enable healthy lives

Improve health equity for priority populations.
Download PDF (3mb)

Have a question?

Contact us for advice on all things UNSW, including faculty-specific questions, essential services, and even support and development. We’re here to help.
Ask a question