14.3: Food Security

Last updated
Save as PDF

Page ID: 21192

$ \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } $ $ \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} $$\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}$ $ \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}$ $ \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}$ $ \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}$ $ \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}$ $ \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}$ $ \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}$ $ \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}$ $ \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}$ $ \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}$ $\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}$ $ \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}$ $ \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}$ $ \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}$ $ \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}$ $ \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}$ $ \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}$ $ \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}$ $ \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}$ $ \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}$$\newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}$

Learning Objectives

Describe food security and the various levels of food insecurity.
Identify groups at risk of food insecurity.
Describe various food assistance programs that seek to mitigate hunger in the United States.

Adequate food intake that meets nutritional requirements is essential to achieve a healthy, productive lifestyle. However, millions of people in the U.S. go hungry and are malnourished each year due to a recurring and involuntary lack of food. Measurements related to this lack of food are often stated in terms of food security and food insecurity.

Food Security and Food Insecurity

Most American households are considered to be food secure, which means they have adequate access to food and consume enough nutrients to achieve a healthy lifestyle. However, some U.S. households experience food insecurity at certain points during the year, which means their access to food is limited due to a lack of money or other resources. Figure $\PageIndex{1}$ shows the food security status of U.S. households during 2020, including:

Food secure households. These households had access, at all times, to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members. Throughout 2020, 89.5% of U.S. households were food secure.
Food insecure households. At times during the year, these households were uncertain of having, or unable to acquire, enough food to meet the needs of all their members because they had insufficient money or other resources for food. Throughout 2020, 10.5% of U.S. households were food insecure. Food insecure households are further categorized as:
- Low food security households. These food insecure households obtained enough food to avoid substantially disrupting their eating patterns or reducing food intake by using a variety of coping strategies, such as eating less varied diets, participating in Federal food assistance programs, or getting emergency food from community food pantries. During 2020, 6.6% of U.S. households had low food security.
- Very low food security households. In these food insecure households, normal eating patterns of one or more household members were disrupted and food intake was reduced at times during the year because they had insufficient money or other resources for food. About 4% of U.S. households had very low food security at some time during 2020.

food insecurity.png — Figure $\PageIndex{1}$: Food security status of U.S. households. (CC0; by United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service)

At-Risk Groups

Groups at risk for food insecurity include:

Households with children
Women or men living alone
Black, non-Hispanic households
Hispanic households
Families consisting of single mothers or single fathers and their children
Rural areas
Households in the southern U.S.
Low-income households with incomes below 185% of the poverty guideline (the poverty guideline was $27,750 for a family of four in 2022)¹

Food Assistance Programs

The federal government has established a number of programs that work to alleviate hunger and ensure that many low-income families receive the nutrition they require to live a healthy life. Programs include:

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides monthly benefits for low-income households to purchase approved food items at authorized stores. Clients qualify for the program based on available household income, assets, and certain basic expenses. The program provides Electronic Benefit Transfers (EBT) which work similarly to a debit card. Clients receive a card with a certain allocation of money for each month that can be used only for food.
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) provides food packages to pregnant and breastfeeding women, as well as to infants and children up to age five, to promote adequate intake for healthy growth and development. Most state WIC programs provide vouchers that participants use to acquire supplemental packages at authorized stores.
The National School Lunch Program. The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP) provide nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free breakfasts and/or lunches to children each school day.
The Child and Adult Care Food Program. The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) offers meals and snacks at child-care centers, daycare homes, and after-school programs.
The Summer Food Service Program. The Summer Food Service Program provides meals to children during summer break. Sponsors include day camps and other recreation programs where at least half of the attendees live in households with incomes below the federal poverty level.

Other Forms of Assistance

Other forms of assistance include locally-operated charitable organizations, such as food banks and food pantries, which acquire food from local manufacturers, retailers, farmers, and community members to give to low-income individuals and families. Neighborhood soup kitchens provide meals to the homeless and other people in need. These and other organizations are run by nonprofit groups, as well as religious institutions, to provide an additional safety net for those in need of food.

Key Takeaways

Most American households are considered to be food secure, which means they have adequate access to food and consume enough nutrients to achieve a healthy lifestyle. However, some U.S. households experience food insecurity at certain points during the year, which means their access to food is limited due to a lack of money or other resources.
There are a number of groups at risk for hunger, including households with children, black households, Hispanic households, and low-income households.
The United States has a number of federal and state programs, as well as local charities, which provide assistance and education for people who fall into the category of food insecurity.

References

HHS Poverty Guidelines for 2022. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://aspe.hhs.gov/topics/poverty-economic-mobility/poverty-guidelines. Accessed December 22, 2022.