Multiple food vulnerabilities of international students from India in Greater Toronto Area colleges: A pilot study

Research on the food insecurity of international students, who are uniquely positioned as both newly‐arrived immigrants and post‐secondary students, is extremely limited in the Canadian context. In this paper, we attempt to create awareness about this specific form of inequality by qualitatively analyzing the experiences of 30 international students from India, in community and private colleges located in the Greater Toronto Area. Our study demonstrates that most participants faced multiple food vulnerabilities. In this regard, in addition to their internal characteristics, external circumstances have had profound impacts on their food insecurity, particularly the geographical context of the city in which they live. In turn, their food insecurity has influenced various aspects of their everyday lives, including housing, employment, and overall health and well‐being. From a policy perspective, various levels of government, and especially the Canadian post‐secondary educational institutions, must take a greater responsibility for assessing the specific needs of this marginalized group and providing necessary services.