Deep Dive: Hong Kong NGO finds more than two-fifths of low-income residents battle food insecurity

Hong Kong homemaker Fion Chan skips meals when she has to tighten her purse strings to make ends meet.

She said her husband’s unstable income of about HK$20,000 (US$2,570) a month was barely enough for their family of five, with almost a quarter going toward rent for their public flat in Kwai Chung.

“We have to be very careful with money,” the 46-year-old said.

To cut her food bill, she chooses cheaper frozen meat and vegetables sold at bargain prices near closing time at the wet market. She learned to stretch 300g of pork over three meals by serving it minced.

Despite her best efforts, Chan, her husband, and their three daughters, aged 20, 18, and 10, sometimes do not have enough food.

“I worry about the impact of the lack of nutrition on my daughters’ growth. I would rather not eat myself to make sure they have enough,” she said.

The family is among poor Hongkongers struggling to cope with the expenses of basic necessities such as food.

Also struggling is retiree Wong Oi-lin, 72, who waited in line for an hour before the promotions began at a store selling meat and vegetables. If she bought three packages of vegetables, she would get one more free. She chose choy sum and potatoes, which last longer.

Widowed and living alone in a transitional housing unit, she gets by on elderly welfare allowances of about HK$4,000 a month, of which HK$1,480 goes toward rent. She also receives provisions such as rice, frozen meat, biscuits, vegetables and fruit from two food programmes.

Wong, as well as Chan’s family, struggles with food insecurity, an issue that has attracted public concern after a recent survey by the NGO Food Grace. The survey found that more than two-fifths of Hong Kong’s low-income residents were going hungry, with about a third skipping meals to save money.

According to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization, people are considered food insecure if they lack regular access to enough safe and nutritious food for normal growth, development and a healthy life.

Concern groups in Hong Kong have criticised the government’s piecemeal support measures and lack of comprehensive policies, agreeing that poverty was the root of many food woes and calling for more targeted help.

Staff writers

1. Which of the following statements are true based on News?

(1) Chan saves money on her food bill by buying fresh meat and vegetables when the wet market opens.
(2) Wong stood in line for an hour to get discounts on meat and vegetables.
(3) Experts say that poverty is the root of food insecurity for some families in Hong Kong.
(4) Around a quarter of low-income people skip meals to save money, according to a recent survey by Food Grace.

A. (1), (2) only
B. (1), (3) only
C. (2), (3) only
D. (2), (4) only

2. Using News, explain TWO ways low-income families cope with food insecurity.

3. Based on the information in News, what is the primary cause of food insecurity, and how is this demonstrated in the cases of Wong and Chan?

1. Based on the graph, give TWO observations about poverty rates in Hong Kong from 2019 to the start of 2023.

2. What does the median monthly income chart say about wealth distribution in Hong Kong?

Deep Dive: Hongkongers earning less money as unemployment rises

• Survey from NGO Food Grace found that nearly a third of respondents have cut down on meals to save money

• Food banks and charities can help, but some are struggle to stay open

Local charity Oxfam Hong Kong has analysed official data and found that more than 1.36 million Hongkongers were living below the poverty line in the first quarter of last year.

In addition, food recycling NGO Food Grace interviewed 509 residents in July, including people living on welfare and low-income households in the Kwai Tsing and Sham Shui Po districts.

It found that more than two-fifths of respondents went hungry to save money, with nearly a third saying they had cut down on meals over the previous six months. Nearly two-fifths worried they did not have enough food at home, and close to half did not get enough nutrients.

While food recycling offered some relief, service operators that collected and redistributed surplus and unsold food from businesses said they faced difficulties.

Allen Yuen Tak-chi of Community Leap, which runs Food Grace, said his group used to run three food recycling centres, each receiving about HK$1 million of government funding annually between 2014 and 2022.

But after the subsidies stopped last year, the group struggled to continue and shut down two centres. Only one, in Kwai Chung, is still running. It went from redistributing more than 25 tonnes of food per month to just 3.5 tonnes. The number of donors also fell, as many wouldn’t cover extra transport expenses.

“Without subsidies, donors lack incentives to donate food, and we face difficulties operating services on a limited budget,” he said.

Food banks, NGOs, charities and businesses have stepped up to provide free hot meals, groceries and staples.

The Social Welfare Department also commissioned seven NGOs to operate eight teams of subsidised food banks. These banks provide short-term food help, including supermarket and restaurant coupons and provisions such as rice and cooking oil, for up to eight weeks at a time.

According to Susanna Wu Shuk-ying, coordinator of the Hong Kong Christian Service’s multicultural, rehabilitation, and community service, the organisation’s subsidised food assistance team in Sham Shui Po has served about 6,000 residents since 2021.

She said the weekly food supplies were meant to meet the needs of groups such as babies, children, the elderly, people with diabetes and pregnant women.

She added that about half the recipients were families, and the total had been rising. After the initial eight weeks, most received a second round of assistance.

However, Wu said the service was not widely known, and residents asked for more fresh vegetables and meat, which were difficult to store and could pose safety risks.

Yuen urged the government to increase education on healthy eating on a budget. He said his organisation had started programmes to teach residents how to use limited cash to choose food and prepare simple but nutritious meals at home. He said many poor residents focus on price rather than nutritional value when food shopping.

Staff writers

1. Which of the following statements are true based on Issue?

(1) In the first quarter of 2023, nearly 1.4 million Hongkongers were living in poverty. (2) Fewer families are seeking food assistance.
(3) Food Grace has only two remaining food recycling centres.
(4) Distributing fresh meats and vegetables can be risky because of safety and health concerns.

A. (1), (2) only
B. (2), (4) only
C. (3), (4) only
D. (1), (4) only

2. Based on Issue, name TWO difficulties faced by groups looking to fight food insecurity.

3. What type of education does Yuen recommend the government prioritise? Do you think this will help? Use News, Issue and your own knowledge to answer.

1. Name ONE point the cartoon makes on the topic of food insecurity. How does it relate to the information you read in News and Issue?

2. What message do you think the author is trying to convey with this satirical cartoon?

elderly welfare allowances: money from the government given to Hong Kong residents aged 65 or older or those classified as severely disabled.

food insecurity: lacking steady access to enough affordable, nutritious food. Often, people may not know where their next meal will come from or if they will have to skip meals.

piecemeal: done in small parts and often slowly, at different times and in different ways

poverty line: the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country, state, or region. This rate varies from place to place. It is calculated by estimating the total cost of a year’s worth of necessities for the average adult.

subsidies: money granted by the government or a public body to help an organisation run and keep prices low.

1. C

2. Chan gets meat and vegetables at bargain prices by strategically going to the wet markets near closing. She can also stretch out meat based on how she prepares it.

Wong’s tactic is to wait for promotions and buy foods with a longer shelf life, like potatoes and choy sum. She also benefits from food programmes, where she gets rice, frozen meat, biscuits, vegetables, and fruit.

3. Chan has to feed a family of five, including three growing daughters, on her husband’s salary of around HK$20,000. Realistically, only three-quarters of this, around HK$15,000, can go to food and other necessities, as the family spends one-quarter of his salary on rent.

Wong benefits from elderly welfare allowances, though she is only left with HK$2,520 per month after paying rent. This is a small amount for a person to live on, especially in an expensive city like Hong Kong.

1. Poverty rates in Hong Kong are the highest among economically inactive residents, while the working population has lower poverty rates.

The graph also shows that poverty rates for the working population have slightly decreased since 2019, while those for economically inactive residents have slightly increased.

2. The graph shows the huge wealth gap present in Hong Kong. At the bottom are people who make just above HK$2,000 per month, while those at the top make nearly 54 times that amount.

The graph also indicates that the monthly incomes of those making HK$19,200 or less have dropped since 2019, while the incomes of those making more have increased, meaning the wealth gap is expanding over time. Shockingly, the lowest earners saw a 34.3 per cent decline in income, the biggest jump in percentages. The second-highest difference was among the top earners, though they saw a 10.5 per cent in medium monthly income.

1. D

2. As evident with Food Grace, government funding is integral to keeping food recycling centres running. However, the subsidies halted in 2023, and donors dropped out, meaning that Food Grace was forced to close two of its three centres, and its food redistribution dropped 86 per cent.

Additionally, as Wu pointed out, it is risky to redistribute meat and vegetables because they have a shorter shelf life, meaning they could make people sick. So, despite people asking for more of these nutritional products, it is not always an easy or safe option.

Finally, Wu mentioned that not enough people knew about this food redistribution service, so many impoverished people might not get these benefits.

3. Yuen feels that the government needs to spend more time educating the public on nutrition and how to eat healthily. As mentioned in News, many Hongkongers living in poverty have to sacrifice nutrition for price, opting for cheap foods that may not be as nutritious.

Yuen’s programme teaches people how to choose food and create healthy at-home meals on a budget. This can be immensely helpful. Teaching people how to make healthy meals for cheap can make sure they are getting the nutrients they need and help them stay healthy.

1. The cartoon mentions that Hongkongers value price over nutritional value when it comes to food since many struggle to make ends meet. This is a big problem for people in poverty who may need more nutrition in their diets. It follows the same sentiment mentioned by Yuen in Issue.

2. The cartoon highlights the lack of awareness of food insecurity and Hong Kong’s wealth gap based on the response from the cat on the right. He says that his “restaurant bills are astronomical,” which indicates that he does not recognise the real issue at hand because he can only focus on his inconveniences as someone who makes a decent income.