What is food insecurity? And what is a food desert? Here's what you should know.
While the United States in one of the wealthiest nations in the world, each year millions of Americans face food insecurity.
According to Feeding America, almost 40 million Americans experienced food insecurity in 2020. This included almost 12 million children and amounts to one in eight Americans.
In addition to food insecurity, many Americans live in food deserts, further limiting their ability to buy and eat healthy food.
Some people may not know what food insecurity is or what food deserts are. If so, we have the answers for you.
What is food insecurity?
According to the U.S Department of Agriculture, food insecurity is defined as a “household-level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food.”
According to the USDA, “hunger” is only used to refer to consequences of food insecurity. That means "hunger" refers to discomfort, illness, weakness and pain beyond an uneasy sensation.
Who is at risk for food insecurity?
According to Feeding America, many people can experience food insecurity including children, seniors and those who live in rural communities.
While poverty and food insecurity are linked, people living above the poverty line may be food insecure and those who live under the poverty line may not be.
According to the USDA, households with an income below the poverty line and single-mother households experience the highest rates of food insecurity. Black and Hispanic households experience food insecurity at rates higher than the national average.
Low income households often experience other issues that overlap with food insecurity including social isolation, lack of affordable housing, health issues, social and economic disadvantages stemming from structural racism, low wages and high medical costs.
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What are examples of food insecurity?
Food insecurity can be defined in four different ways depending on a household’s access to food. According to Feeding America, these are the categories:
High food security: Refers to households without anxiety about having consistent access to “adequate food.”
Marginal food security: Refers to households that have had some anxiety or issues about having “adequate food,” but the quality was not reduced.
Low food security: Refers to households where food intake was not substantially disrupted, but the quality and variety of diets was reduced.
Very low food security: Refers to households where food intake was reduced and the eating patterns of one or more household members were disrupted due to a lack of money to buy food.
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What is a food desert?
According to Medical News Today, a food desert is an area where individuals have restricted access to healthy foods, because they either live far from places that offer healthy or affordable food or because they have a limited income.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What is food insecurity? What is a food desert? We have the answers.
