Problem Memo-Food Insecurity

Uncategorized

To: Food Banks, Non-Profit Organizations and Government officials

From: Elaine Kyi

Re: Food Insecurity

Date: September 13, 2015

Problem Memorandum

We are surrounded by hunger every day. Hunger and food security are complex issues that are prevalent in America. In states where food is easily accessed, hunger still remains a critical problem. There is potential to make a positive change, only with help from everyone. The tiniest actions may lead to huge results.

One out of five adults are actively hungry or ‘food insecure’. Food insecurity is being unable to sustain yourself with food required to live on a daily basis. People from all socioeconomic backgrounds are affected by it. The working families are the most susceptible to suffering from hunger. During the school year, children can depend on regular school meals. When summer comes, that source of food is not accessible. A study conducted by Cornell University, Lang, Susan (2015) states that “When young school-age children do not always have enough to eat, their academic development — especially reading – suffers.” Hunger affects children and young adults’ concentration which results in higher crime and dropout rates. Feeding America illustrates that food insecurity is linked with increased hospitalization, chronic diseases and development issues (Kleinman, Murphy, Little, Pagano, Wehler, Regal & Jellinek, 1998). Though healthy food is available, ironically, it is more expensive than unhealthy food. Adults are affected by food insecurity by showing an increase in obesity, diabetes, chronic diseases such as hypertension and a higher risk of developing cardiovascular factors (Seligman, Bindman, Vittinghoff, Kanaya & Kushel, 2007). Inexpensive food is cheap and easily available. Families who live paycheck to paycheck purchase foods that are high in sugar and calories. These foods are more filling in order to ward off their hunger. An economic research reported that “85.1 percent of American households were food secure throughout the entire year of 2011 and 14.9 percent reported as food insecure” (Coleman-Jensen, Alisha & Nord, Mark, 2012). Of the 14.9 household that were food insecure, 16.7 million were children under the age of 18. In order to have a bright future, children and adults need good nutrition and food security to build healthy foundations.

One of the epidemic problems that America faces today is the overwhelming waste of food. The increasing quantity of edible food that is thrown out daily is alarming. With all the food that is tossed out, every individual in this country could be fed for free. Food is often taken for granted. Though food is everywhere, some people cannot afford it According to Cederberg (2011) “One-third of the world’s food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted each year.” Some people are qualified to shop at expensive grocery stores. We constantly take more food than what we really need and end up wasting a lot of it. Families throw out an average of $1,350 of food every year. We throw out food because we have become superficial to how foods are supposed to look like. Another reason is the mentality that consumers have. They buy in bulk and believe that having more is better. When we are unable to finish or preserve it, the food spoils and is no longer appealing. Anything that is not flawless is disposed of. As stated by Delman, E. (2015, May 29) Should It Be Illegal for Supermarkets to Waste Food? “One in seven Americans lack reliable access to food, and an extra 15 percent saved in food could feed over 25 percent million Americans.” About 40 percent of our food gets thrown away each year from supermarkets, grocery stores, and homes. Grocery stores and supermarkets deal with food waste every day. If there are any blemishes on food, it is assumed to be not good and ignored or thrown away. Foods are also often thrown out if they are not sold by their sell-by dates. Customers are not aware that the “sell by date” usually indicates the quality not the safety. Organizations should partner with grocery stores and supermarkets in order to provide food to the needy.

A common reason stores do not donate is because of potential liabilities. In 2010, 31 percent of food produced was not available for human consumption at the retail and consumer levels. However, a study conducted by University of Arkansas shows that “Not a single lawsuit has ever been made against a grocery store that has donated food to a rescue program.” In fact, organizations are protected from lawsuits under the Good Samaritan Food Act. These organizations could have the most beneficial impact in the fight against hunger. We should be more conscious of what we use and what is unused. Some people do not even have the luxury to consider throwing any food away, even if rotten.

The government subsidizes food programs like SNAP that aid people who are food insecure and hungry. About “83 percent of all SNAP or food stamp benefits go to households with a child, senior or disabled person” ( Feeding America, 2015). These programs are good for the economy because they create jobs. USDA research shows that for every five dollars that a consumer spends from SNAP or food stamps, the economy receives twice as much in benefits. SNAP is the largest domestic food and nutrition program in the United States, yet it does not cover a family’s complete dietary needs for an entire month. The downside to this program is the limited amount of time. Some families receive up to three weeks of benefits while other receive much less than that. Another problem is the limited eligibility of food that these benefits offer. As of 2013, one who receives SNAP benefits can purchase a range of junk food (USDA, 2013). These foods are often avoided for health but they are  cheap and easily accessible. Another issue with food stamps is that people offer to sell their benefit cards for cash. States around America find it hard to monitor and prosecute fraudulent efforts involving food benefits. The Government Accountability office reports that “Even when fraud is detected, state prosecutors often decide not to prosecute because of scarce resources. In some cases where fraud is prosecuted, states find that juries are often sympathetic to the scammer.” The GAO states that states the level of staffs are part of the hindrances to the investigation, “With 8 of the 11 states we reviewed reporting inadequate staffing due to attrition, turnover, or lack of funding (GAO, Enhanced Detection Tools and Reporting Could Improve Efforts to Combat Recipient Fraud (2014) . In one North Carolina county and Texas, prosecutors would not pursue any SNAP cases due to the limited resources.

Hunger is a tough but solvable problem. There are steps we can take to reduce it and become closer to eliminating it. The food insecurity gap can be bridged, with the help of educators and professionals. Children should not be going hungry in a first-world country. With great public investment and a strong community plan, hunger issues can be solved. For hunger to end, we all need to be involved.