HUMANITY MAG WINTER 2017 EDITION REV 12.11.17

H U M A N I T Y M A G A Z I N E
Are People In the U.S. Getting Enough To Eat?
Unfortunately, even though the U.S. is bountiful and the
world’s biggest individual exporter of food, millions of
Americans actually are not. Each year the Department
of Agriculture runs a nationwide survey to determine
how many people go hungry. The latest figures show
almost 6 percent of households – about 18 million
people – are consistently not getting enough to eat.
Another 8 percent – 30 million people – have occasional
problems feeding themselves.
Altogether, about 14 percent of U.S. households –
roughly 48 million people or one in seven Americans –
go hungry at some point during the year, and not
because they are trying to lose weight. This number
actually underestimates the problem because the
survey excludes the homeless and transients;
groups that almost by definition lack enough food.
Given the size of the problem, you might think it’d be a
prominent issue on the campaign trail this year. Yet
none of the presidential candidates discusses this issue,
even as they attend endless breakfast meetings, lunch
roundtables and dinner fundraisers. It doesn’t seem to
be on their minds, perhaps because they are
surrounded by food.
While the candidates, their staff and protectors are well
fed, the news is not as good for the rest of the country.
In other words, why do we have such a tough time
ending hunger in America?
What hunger really means
If you are like most people, you know what it is like to
think yourself, “I’m hungry.” You have probably said as
much to a friend or family member. In addition, your
hunger is real. It is a feeling of emptiness caused by a
lack of food.
However, being hungry in the moment – maybe you
skipped breakfast or missed lunch – is not the same as
hunger. Hunger is not knowing if there is a next meal,
which is quite different from being temporarily hungry.
The 48 million Americans who face hunger and food
insecurity are found across our nation. Yet, poverty, lack
of education and state programs as well as
infrastructure combine to concentrate hunger and food
insecurity in the South and especially in Mississippi,
Arkansas, Texas, Alabama, North Carolina and
Kentucky.
This article is republished with permission
from The Conversation.
Defining food security
Food security is a simple concept. People who are “food
secure” have enough to eat. People who are “food
insecure” do not. Not only are the numbers large, the
Department of Agriculture survey shows the percentage
of households experiencing food insecurity has climbed
slightly since 1995. The survey tracks hunger each
December by asking if the following statements apply:
* “We worried whether our food would run out before we
got money to buy more.”
* “The food that we bought just didn’t last and we didn’t
have money to get more.”
* “We couldn’t afford to eat balanced meals.”
Using these questions and a few others, each
household is classified as “food secure,” “low food
security” or “very low food security.”
We often think of hunger as something happening far
away, but many Americans are also food insecure.
Can we end hunger in the U.S.?
Unfortunately, there is no way to prevent hunger. It is a
problem that will persist. Yet we do have some ways to
fight hunger and, with luck, reduce food insecurity. Aid is
a good place to start. By donating our time, money and
food to local charities, we become part of the solution.
No one should go hungry or feel insecure about their
next meal in the U.S. in the 21st century. As the 2016
presidential campaign slogs on, we can be part of the
solution by both giving of ourselves and asking our
leaders to address this vital issue and promote food
security as a sacred right for all Americans.
A Voice for the Homeless www.HumanityMag.org 2