By: Nikki Nies
One doesn’t have to look too far to see the disparity in available resources and food around the world. Food insecurity doesn’t discriminate, straining families living in cities and the suburbs alike. With 1/10 children living in a food desert, where fresh produce are not readily available and poverty rates increasing 40% from 2001 to 2011, food insecurity is not going away anytime soon.
Food security requires looking at someone’s physical and economic access to resources. Long term food insecurity can lead to increased risk of diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease;malnutrition; increases aggression, stress and anxiety; foodborne diarrhea and impaired brain, social and physical development.
While ensuring food pantries are fully stocked to provide for those depending on the food is one of the many goals to ensure food security, other solutions need to be kept in mind. Such as:
- Work with community developments to build supermarkets that offer affordably priced fruits and vegetables
- Help nonprofits build and maintain community gardens
- Bring farmer’s markets to urban areas
- Develop relationships with organizations that support families in critical conditions
For a city, town, state, village, province or nation to be defined as food secure, when all people at all times have access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life”.
Small changes can really make a difference and by people banding together to be advocates for better and more available resources, change can occur.
Sources: http://greatist.com/health/food-insecurity-gallup-poll-091613
http://feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/impact-of-hunger.aspx
http://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-us.aspx#.Utr3aGTnajk
http://www.treehugger.com/health/food-insecurity-rise-infographic.html
http://www.thewestonforum.com/15959/commentary-hunger-lives-here-report-food-insecurity-is-growing/
wedishnutrition.wordpress.com 