The time is now to consider how the United States prepares its young generations for future success. The statistic most referenced by politicians and the media is our steep national debt. Can future generations maintain America’s economic dynamism and political leadership with such a pernicious financial burden hanging over them? The question is valid and important, yet should not be the only priority.
The more pressing statistic released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture on September 5 did not receive media attention, nor did it catch the eye of politicians. The figure is 16 million: the number of American children who struggled with hunger in 2011. If the United States continues to have a highly educated, healthy, and productive workforce for decades to come, it will be due to a successful effort to feed our children now and address that staggering figure.
A Human, Moral, and Political Problem
The issue is for many much more than a social one. In an interview with the HPR, John Carr, the former Executive Director of the Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development at the United States Catholic Bishops’ Conference, described it as a “human problem, moral problem, and political problem.” When we view the issue through an ethical lens in addition to a political one, the statistics become even more appalling.
According to the aforementioned USDA September report “Household Food Security in the United States in 2011,” 50 million Americans lived in a food insecure household, while 14.5 percent of all households were considered food insecure. One in six Americans lived with food insecurity. Twenty percent of SNAP recipients had no other source of income and one half of those recipients had incomes of half the poverty level or less.
To deal with these troubling figures, the United States relies on both private charity and government sponsored assistance programs to help citizens living with hunger. The federal government provides Americans with three major food assistance programs: the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, The National School Lunch Program, and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children. In the private sector, nonprofit organizations and local food charities fill an essential role in distributing food to the hungry. The largest of these organizations is Feeding America, which feeds one in eight Americans through its extensive network of private charities.
The Difficulty of Putting Nutritious Food on the Table
While the range of options seems to be enough to solve hunger in America, hunger rates remain at high levels. Food assistance programs partially alleviate the problem, but do not solve it. Consider the budget that SNAP recipients have for food. On average, each individual has $1.79 to spend on each meal. Feeding America’s report “Map the Meal Gap 2012” found that the average food-secure American spends $2.52 per meal.
Recently, Mario Batali, a celebrity chef, lived off of a SNAP budget for a week with his family. During an MSNBC interview, he commented that, “You have to give yourself over to the stores and allow them to dictate your menu. You buy what’s on special this week.” Searching for deals may sound relatively simple to an individual living in a big city or suburban area where several options of grocery stores are present. Yet for people living in a “fresh food desert,” options are scarce and the quality of food is poor.
In these neighborhoods, supermarkets and other large grocery stores are not accessible to families seeking affordable food. Instead, they must buy from small local stores such as gas stations, which carry low quality food high in carbohydrates, sugars, and fats. These food outlets typically offer non-fresh items contained in cans and plastic. Obtaining fresh fruits and vegetables becomes a daunting task for the families that need them most.
The Domestic Health Education Crises
Adverse effects extend beyond food insecure households. The cost of health problems caused by hunger and fresh food deserts is externalized to society as a whole. People suffering from health conditions put an increased strain on hospitals, especially emergency rooms, with bills that are often unpaid. The recent healthcare reform bill is supposed to alleviate this problem, but it cannot solve the fundamental health crisis caused by hunger.
The most alarming effect of hunger is the crisis of childhood health and development. The Feeding America report “Child Food Insecurity: The Economic Impact On Our Nation” stated that “[u]nder-nutrition before the age of three fundamentally changes the neurological architecture of the brain and central nervous system, harming a child’s ability to learn. Hungry children have lower academic achievement.” The report described that “[h]ungry children are sick more often, more likely to be hospitalized, and to suffer physical, emotional and developmental impairment.” The United States will not be able to deal with its educational achievement gap if students are out of school sick or unable to focus in class due to a lack of nutritious food. Moreover, hunger-induced developmental complications will translate into a less productive workforce in decades to come.
The Nation’s Priorities
Consider the debate regarding the federal budget. The budget of the United States generally reflects the values and priorities of American society in a way that most other documents cannot. Congressman Paul Ryan proposed a budget that has been the most discussed and debated plan out there, which would have drastic consequences for the hungry if implemented.
The budget calls for deep cuts in social programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and even SNAP in order to reduce the deficit. In an interview with the HPR, Ross Fraser, the Director of Media Relations for Feeding America, said “If major cuts were made to government nutrition programs, millions more would come to Feeding America for help, and we simply don’t have the resources to accommodate all of those Americans.” Fraser emphasized the nonpartisan stance of Feeding America and made it clear that the federal government must make hunger a priority no matter what party is in control. Clearly, private charities such as Feeding America recognize an essential role for government in its nutrition programs.
Raising awareness is the first step in sparking mass interest to stop hunger. The most promising initiative to end hunger in the United States is the No Kid Hungry campaign. It achieved a feat most initiatives can only dream of: being featured at both the Republican and Democratic conventions and bringing members of both parties together. Simple solutions can be carried out by all Americans through tax-deductible donations, promotions at participating restaurants, and by taking an online pledge at nokidhungry.org. Hunger must be dealt with in America, but the nation must first shape its discourse and priorities to create an environment conducive to accomplishing that goal.