Migrants on the Move and Food (In)security: A Call for Research

Abstract

Food insecurity contributes to negative outcomes for health and wellbeing, and its impact may be exacerbated during periods of vulnerability. While food insecurity is both a driver and a consequence of migration, anecdotal evidence indicates that it is also common during migration when people are ‘on the move’, although its prevalence and severity during these periods are largely undocumented. Food security monitoring is critical to ensuring the universal right to food for migrants, and instruments must be designed which capture the unique challenges faced during these ‘extra-ordinary’ periods of mobility, including in the context of emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper reviews knowledge on food security in migrants on the move and examines how active mobility intersects with food security and its measurement. Considering the potential consequences on health and wellbeing, we call for interdisciplinary research using standard instruments to document food insecurity in migrants on the move.