# Victoria interviews identify cultural food access and affordability as priorities for African youth

> Twenty young people with East and West African backgrounds described food as a source of identity and belonging, alongside barriers involving prices, supermarket ranges and discrimination. Views on sugary-drink taxes and marketing restrictions varied.

URL: https://foodradar.org/african-youth-in-victoria-call-for-culturally-inclusive-food-policy-amid-systemic-barriers
Language: en
Author: FoodRadar Editorial
Published: 2026-11-02T06:53:33.524755Z
Updated: 2026-11-02T06:53:33.524755Z
Source publication date: 2026-08-13
Category: Regulation
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## Interviews on food experiences and policy

A study published in Health Promotion Journal of Australia on 13 August 2026 explored food and nutrition experiences among 20 young people with Sub-Saharan African backgrounds in Victoria, Australia. Participants described cultural food as a source of identity, family connection and belonging, while reporting difficulties accessing and affording it.

Individual and group interviews took place from August 2023 to March 2024. Recruitment was purposive, through advisory networks, university peers, youth services and community groups. The sample included 14 female and six male participants; 18 had East African family origins and two had West African origins. Fifteen lived in metropolitan Victoria and five in regional areas.

## Access, prices and community support

Participants reported limited availability of cultural ingredients in mainstream supermarkets and journeys to specialist grocers, particularly from regional areas. They described shared meals and learning food preparation across generations. Some also reported racial profiling in supermarkets that affected their dignity and self-worth; how this affected food purchases remained unclear.

Several participants described rising prices and difficulties affording healthy food. Some said families bought cheaper, energy-dense foods. Accounts of community support included food hampers during COVID-19 lockdowns, although views differed on the stigma of seeking help. Participants also described complex grant applications and limited support for establishing and sustaining African-owned food businesses.

## Different views on labels, taxes and marketing

Many participants valued food labels but found the language complex and described gaps in education about using them. Some thought sugary-drink taxes could discourage purchases, while others questioned their effectiveness and emphasised education. Several expressed concern about water being more expensive than sugary drinks in some settings. Most supported restrictions on unhealthy-food marketing, while a few opposed broad restrictions and favoured business freedom with guidelines limiting marketing to young people.

Asked what policies they would prioritise in a leadership position, participants proposed better access to cultural ingredients, support for African-owned food businesses, easier access to grants, culturally appropriate nutrition education and better housing standards. Most felt governments did not sufficiently listen to or support African communities. They called for stronger engagement with young people and community organisations in decisions about food and nutrition.

## Youth involvement and limits of the sample

A three-person multicultural youth advisory committee, including two African Australians, helped shape recruitment and interview materials. A young African Australian researcher conducted the interviews and led analysis with supervision. Reflexive thematic analysis identified four themes covering cultural food and identity, affordability and economic opportunities, the relevance of mainstream policies, and government attention to migrants and equity.

The authors stated that the East and West African sample did not reflect experiences from Central or Southern Africa and that the findings could not be generalised. Migration pathways were not recorded. They called for broader representation across African subregions, ages, disability and regional residence, and for future research across different migration pathways.

## Sources and rights

- [Bridging Voices Through Food: Sub‐Saharan African Young People's Perspectives of Food and Nutrition Policy in Victoria, Australia](https://doi.org/10.1002/hpja.70234?utm_source=foodradar.org&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=editorial&utm_content=african-youth-in-victoria-call-for-culturally-inclusive-food-policy-amid-systemic-barriers-en). Health Promotion Journal of Australia. Khalid Muse, Ayuba Issaka, Dheepa Jeyapalan, Nicola Miranda, Kevin Kapeke, Kathryn Backholer, Veronica Nunez, Sally Schultz, Hannah Jongebloed, Chioma Anidi and Christina Zorbas (2026). Bridging Voices Through Food: Sub-Saharan African Young People’s Perspectives of Food and Nutrition Policy in Victoria, Australia. Health Promotion Journal of Australia 37(4), e70234, 13 August 2026. © The Authors 2026. Published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australian Health Promotion Association. DOI: 10.1002/hpja.70234. CC BY 4.0. Editorial adaptation and translation: FoodRadar. [CC-BY-4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/?utm_source=foodradar.org&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=editorial&utm_content=african-youth-in-victoria-call-for-culturally-inclusive-food-policy-amid-systemic-barriers-en-license).

Adapted by FoodRadar.

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