The lived experience of food insecurity in Adelaide, South Australia: Stories of adversity, oppression, and the orthodox and unorthodox food acquisition strategies used to cope

This study investigated life events that tipped adults into food insecurity and aimed to understand their experiences of orthodox and unorthodox food acquisition practices before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Guided by constructivist grounded theory, two populations were recruited: (i) emergency food relief (EFR) recipients and (ii) EFR staff/volunteers. Lived experiences provided insight into adverse childhood and adulthood life events leading to poverty and food insecurity, continual oppression, and orthodox and unorthodox food acquisition practices utilized. This study contributes contextual knowledge on poverty and food insecurity, and offers a deeper understanding of the drivers and strategies used to cope.