Hunger and Food Security

Food Security means: access by all people, at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life. It also means:

• Having enough, safe, nutritious food.
• The ability to safely access acceptable foods.

The food security status of each household lies somewhere along a scale from high food security to very low food security.

• High food security - Households had no problems or anxiety about regular access to enough food.
• Marginal food security - Households had problems at times, or anxiety about, access to enough food. Food quality, variety, and quantity were not greatly reduced.
• Low food security - Households reduced the quality, variety, and desirability of their diets. The quantity of food intake and normal eating patterns were not greatly disrupted.
• Very low food security - At times during the year, eating patterns of one or more household members were disrupted. Food intakes were reduced because the household lacked money and other resources for food.

Not all Americans know when they will have their next meal. For many, this uncertainty in food is a daily problem that can lead to hunger, malnutrition and disease. Not knowing when you might eat again or how you will obtain food is called food insecurity.

A 2010 national survey showed 14.5% of households are facing food insecurity. Of that total, 9.1% of American households had low food security and 5.4% of American households faced very low food security. In the same year 5.5% of New Hampshire homes had low food security and 4.1% had very low food security.

Community Food Security:      

Community food security is a new concept with roots in community nutrition, nutrition education, public health, sustainable agriculture, and anti-hunger and community development. It is a concept that supports the development of sustainable, community-based strategies to improve access of low-income households to healthy, nutritious food supplies. It also supports the increase of self-reliance of communities in providing for their own food needs, and to promote comprehensive responses to local food, farm, and nutrition issues. Some indicators for community food security include access to grocery stores, public transportation, food banks, safe food systems, and nutrition outreach and education programs.

Community Food Security Resources in New Hampshire:

• New Hampshire Food Bank - The state of New Hampshire is fortunate to have the resources of the New Hampshire Food Bank in Manchester. Each year the Food Bank distributes nearly six million pounds of food to shelters, soup kitchens and New Hampshire residents facing hunger and food insecurity. The New Hampshire Food Bank also offers education and training programs.
• New Hampshire Farm to School Program - A project to connect New Hampshire farms and schools by integrating agricultural production, a school's ability to purchase local foods and education.

Food Security Resources:

• Food Solutions New England - Food Solutions New England, in partnership with the University of New Hampshire, is an organization dedicated to promoting sustainable, regional agriculture that advances communities, nutrition and food security.
• Community Food Security Coalition - Non-profit advocacy organization. The Coalition is dedicated to building strong, sustainable, local and regional food systems that ensure access to affordable, nutritious, and culturally appropriate food to all people at all times. The site contains reports and guidebooks, and a comprehensive listing of community food security organizations and resources.
• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations - The FAO is an international organization whose goals are to defeat world hunger by improving agricultural productivity and raise the levels of nutrition for people living in poverty.
• World Hunger Year - WHY is an anti-hunger advocacy group that fights the root causes of hunger and poverty utilizing innovative community-based solutions. Their Food Security Learning Center has direct links to hunger and food security studies.
• Feeding America - A national foundation dedicated to the alleviation of hunger through America's food banking system. The website is a source of hunger statistics and reports as well as comprehensive information about the nation's largest system of food recovery and distribution.
• United States Department of Agriculture - The USDA website contains information about the federal nutrition assistance programs. Reports and evaluations of the programs can be found - as well as the recent results of the Household Food Security Survey.
• United States Census Bureau - The US Census Bureau’s website contains poverty data from the 2010 census and updated information from the Current Population Survey.
• The 2012 Hunger Report - Report from the Bread Of The World Institute discussing the need for reform in farming to encourage the production of healthy, accessible foods to benefit local farming economies and improve hunger and food insecurity statistics.