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Food Security

WIC participation virtually guarantees the child won't be stunted developmentally during critical years when good nutrition is essential….When the child starts school, the federal breakfast and lunch programs could make the crucial difference in whether this boy or girl has a fighting chance to rise out of poverty later in life. Eating breakfast and lunch raises children's academic performance and reduces behavioral problems, and together these meals provide half the nutrients children need to grow up healthy…the child nutrition programs provide a vital part of their food security (Hunger Report 2006, Page 43) Cross Reference: School Breakfast Program, WIC, and School Lunch Program
Thus, while the primary responsibility for a family's food security rests with the family, our humanity dictates that those who are materially better off must demand that today's economic and government systems change—the rules change—so that struggling families will be able to feed and care for themselves (Hunger Report 2004, Page 95).
The ultimate goal of U. S. farm programs must be to promote sustainable agriculture, reduce rural poverty and eliminate food insecurity, both in the United States and throughout the world. Toward this end, the United States should: gradually eliminate tariffs on developing country agriculture exports, export subsidies and production-linked domestic support payments; support U.S. farmers who leave agriculture with adjustment assistance that would include counseling, job training, education reimbursement and transportation aid; support small and mid-size farmers with comprehensive rural development programs and technical assistance in adopting new technologies and developing greater economies of scale; establish provisions for farmers to help them sustain losses resulting from catastrophic weather events; strengthen assistance for farmers in meeting conservation goals and environmental mandates, including increased technical assistance, cost-share programs and incentive payments for use of environmentally friendly practices; increase research and regulation in areas, such as biotechnology, food safety, disease prevention and environmental quality; invest in rural communities by supporting economic development initiatives, job training, business promotion and infrastructure development, and reduce hunger in the United States (through nutrition and poverty reduction programs) and worldwide (through development assistance and trade opportunities), with this adding to the ongoing demand for food production (Hunger Report 2003, Page 55). Cross Reference: Agriculture Domestic, Food Security International Rural Development International, Environment, Biotechnology, Nutrition Programs, Trade, and Development Assistance.

Food Insecurity

The national nutrition programs hold the key, especially Food Stamps….To be truly effective in reducing food insecurity, and the FSP needs to be improved. One way to strengthen the program would be to increase the benefit to a level that would give all participants the means to achieve a healthy diet. (Hunger Report 2006, page 41) Cross Reference: Food Stamps Program
In 1996, at the World Food Summit in Rome, the United States joined 185 other nations in a pledge to halve food insecurity and hunger by 2015….To meet the goal set in Rome, food insecurity must be reduced to 6 percent….The commitment to cut food insecurity and hunger in half needs to be matched by appropriate plans, investments and action. (Hunger Report, 2006, Page 41) Cross Reference: Food Insecurity—International
The national nutrition programs hold the key, especially Food Stamps….To be truly effective in reducing food insecurity, the FSP needs to be improved. One way to strengthen the program would be to increase the benefit to a level that would give all participants the means to achieve a healthy diet. (Hunger Report 2006, page 41) Cross Reference: Food Stamps
The goal of U.S. farm policy must be to promote sustainable agriculture, reduce rural hunger and poverty, and eliminate food insecurity here in our own country and around the world (Hunger Report 2005, Page 110) Cross Reference: Food Insecurity International and Agriculture: International and Domestic
Bread for the World and its coalition partners are asking Congress and the president to commit to cutting hunger and food insecurity in half by 2010 (Hunger Report 2005, Page 11). Cross Reference: Food Insecurity--International
In 2002 Bread for the World Institute estimated, based on U.S. Census data and a study by the U.S. Agency for International Development, that the United States could cut U.S. food insecurity in half by 2010 and do its share to cut world hunger in half by 2015 for an extra $7 billion a year (Hunger Report 2004, Page 93).
Based on USDA data regarding food insecurity, Bread for the World Institute has estimated that an additional $5 billion in nutrition assistance annually would be enough to cut U.S. hunger and food insecurity in half (Hunger Report 2004, Page 72) Cross Reference: Nutrition Programs.
To make dramatic progress toward reducing food insecurity…food stamps benefits must be increased; WIC must be funded as an entitlement program; eligibility restrictions that still remain from the 1996 welfare reform must be eliminated (some were eliminated in the 2002 Farm Bill); and federal summer food programs for children must be substantially expanded (Hunger Report 2004: Side Bar: Page 9). Cross Reference: Food Stamps, WIC and Summer Food Programs for Children
Policies especially should target low-income Americans, who are at higher risk of becoming overweight or obese. The connection between poverty, food insecurity and obesity must be realized, and insufficiencies in our federal safety net programs, such as the meager, monthly food stamp allowance, must be addressed. Larger grocery stores and farmers markets that offer a wide variety of highly nutritious foods also must become available in low-income neighborhoods. Cities also should make low-income neighborhoods safer and provide more sidewalks, bike paths and alternatives to cars (Hunger Report 2003, Side Bar: Page 55) Cross Reference: Overnutrition (obesity), Food Stamps , and Nutrition Programs.

Malnutrition

Malnutrition…weakens children's immune systems, increasing their likelihood for recurrent infections (Hunger Report 2004, Page 58).

Overnutrition (Obesity)

Policies especially should target low-income Americans, who are at higher risk of becoming overweight or obese. The connection between poverty, food insecurity and obesity must be realized, and insufficiencies in our federal safety net programs, such as the meager, monthly food stamp allowance, must be addressed. Larger grocery stores and farmers markets that offer a wide variety of highly nutritious foods also must become available in low-income neighborhoods. Cities also should make low-income neighborhoods safer and provide more sidewalks, bike paths and alternatives to cars (Hunger Report 2003, Side Bar: Page 55) Cross Reference: Food Insecurity , Food Stamps and Nutrition Programs.

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