Hunger In The United States Is Real
THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE.
What Is Food Insecurity?
By the end of 2020, more than
54 Million People
were estimated to be food insecure in the U.S.
Food insecurity means you lack reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food.
Here are some other things to know about hunger in the U.S.
Millions of households are affected
Both adults and children affected by hunger can experience serious consequences ranging from poor productivity in their daily life to being at greater risk of physical and mental illnesses, including hypertension and diabetes.
Nearly 1 in 4 households have experienced food insecurity in 2020. Even before the pandemic hit, some 13.7 million households, or 10.5% of all U.S. households, experienced food insecurity at some point during 2019.
Since the COVID-19 health crisis, food insecurity has doubled overall, and tripled among households with children.
In late June 2020, 27.5% of households with children were food insecure — meaning some 13.9 million children lived in a household characterized by child food insecurity.
Sources:
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University June 2020 study, Brookings Institution analysis
There is Such A Thing As A "Food Desert"
People who live in food deserts often experience food insecurity because food is harder to get.
Even back in 2015, a USDA study found that more than 23 million people both lived in a food desert and lacked access to a vehicle, making it even harder to access food.
A “food desert” is defined by how far you live from a supermarket.
In cities, that means more than a mile away.
In rural areas, it's greater than 10 miles.
As long as 10 years ago, the USDA found that groceries sold in food deserts can cost significantly more than groceries sold in suburban markets, meaning people in low-income communities impacted by food insecurity often pay more money for their food. Milk prices, for example, were about 5% more in some spots while prices for cereal were sometimes 25% higher.
Source: Food Insecurity In The U.S. By The Numbers, npr.org
