What are the obstacles in establishing a food insecurity program at a post-secondary institute?

Student food insecurity is a growing problem at post-secondary institutes in Canada. This lack of food impacts students' physical health, mental health, and academic performance in negative ways. Post-secondary institutes have begun to establish food insecurity programs to combat this problem. For my research, I examined the obstacles to establishing food insecurity programs at two post-secondary institutions. Employees and managers at two large western Canadian post-secondary institutes food insecurity programs were interviewed to understand their experiences in establishing their institutes programs. The obstacles to developing a food insecurity program include: a lack of human resources, obtaining institutional buy in, having external partnership dependencies, a lack of transportation resources, lack of long-term planning ability, uncertainty of food supply, and a lack of clear mission goals. Current food insecurity programs are operating on a reactionary footing due to these obstacles and need to develop strategies for long term sustainability.