© 2006 thomson-wadsworth chapter 5 food insecurity and the food assistance programs

© 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth

Chapter 5

Food Insecurity and the Food Assistance Programs


Learning Objectives

• Communicate the current status of food security in the United States.

• Understand the complexity of domestic food insecurity.

• Explain the significance and relevance of food security to dietetics professionals.


Learning Objectives

• Describe current food security and hunger policy initiatives.

• Describe the purpose, status, and current issues related to the U.S. food assistance programs.

• Describe actions that individuals might take to eliminate food insecurity.


Introduction

• People in developing countries and less-privileged parts of developed countries suffer the problems of chronic debilitating hunger and malnutrition.

• The phenomenon of hunger is discussed in terms of food security, food insecurity, or food insecurity with or without hunger.


Introduction

• The concept of food security includes five components:– Quantity– Quality– Suitability– Psychological– Social


Counting the Hungry in the United States

• In 2003, 12.5 percent of people in the U.S. lived in poverty.

• The official poverty line defines eligibility for most federal assistance programs.



• Since 1995, USDA has monitored food security through an annual survey used to categorize households as:– Food secure– Food insecure without hunger– Food insecure with hunger



• Food secure - no or minimal evidence of food insecurity.

• Food insecure without hunger - experiencing uncertain access to sufficient food, concerned about inadequate resources to buy enough food, and couldn’t afford to eat balanced meals.



• Food insecure with hunger - the adults have decreased the quantity as well as the quality of food they consume due to lack of money to the point where they show clear evidence of repeated of pattern of hunger.



• Who Are the Hungry in the United States?– Hunger surveys of the past decade

report an increasing demand for emergency food by families with young children.

– 36 million people experienced hunger or the risk of hunger in 2003 because of lack of resources.


Trends in U.S. Household Food Insecurity/Hunger



• Who Are the Hungry in the United States? (continued)– Poverty and hunger affect certain

socioeconomic, geographic, and demographic groups more than others.

– The most compelling single reason for hunger is poverty.


Prevalence of Food Insecurity & Hunger in U.S., 2003



• Groups subject to hunger:– The Poor– The Working Poor– The Young– Low-Income Women– Ethnic Minorities



• Groups subject to hunger (cont.):– The Elderly– Inner-City and Rural Dwellers– Certain Southern and Western States


Prevalence of Food Insecurity & Hunger by State



• Groups subject to hunger (cont.):– Many Farmers– The Homeless


Demographics of the homeless population in 25 cities

Factors considered the most important contributors to homelessness



• Causes of Hunger in the United States– Food insecurity is a chronic cause of

hunger in the United States.– Low-paying jobs lead the list of

causes of hunger.



• Causes of Hunger (continued)– The federal poverty level is an inappropriate

index of food insecurity because it fails to account for changes in cost of living, regional variations in costs, housing inflation, or unusual expenses.

– Food insecurity is linked to poverty, which in turn is linked to underemployment and the costs of housing and other basic needs.


Gap Between Affordable Housing and Low-Income Wages



• Causes of hunger, other than poverty, include some of the following:– Alcoholism and chronic substance abuse.– Mental illness, depression, and loneliness.– The reluctance of people to accept charity.– Insufficient community food resources.– Lack of education and employment skills.– Lack of affordable housing.


The Paradox of Hunger and Obesity in America

• The need to maximize caloric intake– Low-income families may consume

lower-cost foods with relatively higher levels of calories per dollar

• The tradeoff between food quantity and quality– Food quality is generally affected

before the quantity of intake


The Paradox of Hunger and Obesity in America

• Overeating when food is available– Ups and downs in food availability can

cause people to eat more when food is available

– Cycle can result in weight gain


Historical Background of Food Assistance Programs

• The federal government was given the authority to buy and distribute excess food commodities during the Great Depression of the1930s.

• A few years later Congress initiated an experimental Food Stamp Program and it passed the National School Lunch Act in 1946.



• Evidence accumulated during the 1960s and 1970s that hunger was prevalent and poverty and hunger became national priorities.

• Old programs were revised and new programs were developed in an attempt to prevent malnutrition.



• As a result of these efforts, hunger diminished in this country until the 1980s when the Reagan administration reduced federal spending for antipoverty programs.

• Today, hunger affects all segments of the population.


% of Total U.S. Population in Poverty


Welfare Reform 5 Years Later: How Are Former Recipients Doing?


Welfare Reform: Issues in Moving from Welfare to Work• As a result of welfare reform, the

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) now replaces the former Aid to Families with Dependent Children program.

• States determine the eligibility of needy families and the benefits and services families will receive under TANF but states face strict work requirements that increase each year.


Welfare Reform: Issues in Moving from Welfare to Work• A major target group for job

placement and training is single women with children although this presents two critical issues for states to consider:– Transitional child care assistance– The maintenance of health care

benefits


Federal Domestic Food Assistance Programs Today

• The USDA Food and Nutrition Service implements a variety of programs to provide low-income citizens with food or the means to purchase foods.

• The ultimate goal of the food assistance programs is to improve the food security, nutritional status, and health of Americans.

• The programs served an estimated one in five Americans during 2003.


Federal Domestic Food Assistance Programs Today

• The Food and Nutrition Service administers all of its programs in partnership with the states.

• 94% of all federal expenditures for food assistance went to five programs:– Food Stamp Program– National School Lunch Program– Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for

Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)– Child and Adult Care Food Program– School Breakfast Program


Food Program Costs,1980-2002


The Food Stamp Program and Food Stamp Nutrition Education

• Food stamp benefits enable recipients to buy approved food items in approved grocery stores with the goal of improving diets of low-income households by increasing access to food and food purchasing ability.

• FSP is an entitlement program, meaning that anyone who meets eligibility standards is entitled to receive benefits.



• Eligibility and allotments are based on:– Income– Household size– Assets– Housing costs– Work requirements and other factors


Food Stamp Allotments (2005)



• Most households must have gross monthly incomes below 130% of the poverty line and net monthly income at or below 100% of the poverty guidelines for their household size.

• Benefits are issued in the form of electronic benefits on a debit card, known as the EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer card).



• Food stamp benefits per person average $83.91 a month, and $194.92 per household.

• Benefits can be used to purchase food and seeds but cannot be used to buy ready-to-eat hot foods, vitamins or medicines, pet foods, tobacco, cleaning items, alcohol, or nonfood items.


Unemployment Rate and Food Stamp Program Enrollment



• The major problems with the FSP are: – Benefit allotments are insufficient to

meet needs.– Many households who are eligible do

not participate.



• Nutrition Assistance Programs in Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands


Food Distribution Programs

• Commodity Supplemental Food Program• Food Distribution Program on Indian

Reservations• Emergency Food Assistance Program• Nutrition Services Incentive Program• Food Distribution Disaster Assistance


Child Nutrition and Related Programs

• National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program– The NSLP is the nation’s second

largest nutrition assistance program.– Both programs provide financial

assistance to schools so that every student can receive a nutritious meal.



• National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program (continued)– Participating schools get cash

payments on the basis of the number of meals served in the free, reduced-price, and full-price categories and also receive food commodities.



• National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program (continued)– Schools must serve meals meeting specified

nutritional guidelines and must offer free or reduced-price meals to eligible students.

– The programs are run by USDA at the national level and by the State Department of Education at the state level.



• After-School Snack Program• Special Milk Program• Summer Food Service Program for

Children– Funds meals and snacks for eligible

children during school vacation periods.



• Child and Adult Care Food Program– Designed to help public and private

nonresidential child and adult day care programs provide nutritious meals for the following groups:• Children up to age 12• The elderly• Certain people with disabilities


Programs for Women and Young Children

• Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)– WIC is the third largest nutrition assistance

program in terms of expenditures.– It provides supplemental foods to the

following groups:• Infants• Children up to age five• Pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding

postpartum women who qualify financially and are at nutritional risk


Programs for Women and Young Children – WIC

• Financial eligibility is determined by: – Income (between 100% and 185% of

the poverty line or below) or by – Participation in the Food Stamp or

Medicaid programs.



• Nutritional risks include: – Medically-based risks such as anemia,

maternal age, or history of high-risk pregnancies.

– Diet-based risks such as an inadequate dietary pattern.

– Conditions that make the applicant predisposed to medically-based or diet-based risks, such as alcoholism or drug addiction.

– Homelessness and migrancy.



• WIC is not an entitlement program and is unable to reach all eligible persons.

• WIC services include:– Food packages or vouchers for

supplemental food to provide specific nutrients (protein, calcium, iron, and vitamins A and C) known to be lacking in the diets of the target group

– Nutrition education– Referrals to health care services


Programs for Women and Young Children

• WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program


Programs for Older Adults

• Elderly Nutrition Program– Intended to improve older people’s

nutrition status and enable them to avoid medical problems, continue living in communities of their own choice, and stay out of institutions.


Programs for Older Adults – Elderly Nutrition Program

• Goals of the ENP include providing:– Low-cost, nutritious meals.– Opportunities for social interaction.– Nutrition education and shopping

assistance.– Counseling and referral to other social

services.– Transportation services.


Programs for Older Adults – Elderly Nutrition Program

• All persons 60 years and older (and spouses of any age) are eligible to receive meals, regardless of their income level, although priority is given to those who are economically and socially needy.


Programs for Older Adults

• Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP)– Coupons are provided to low-income

seniors that may be used to purchase fresh, unprepared, locally grown produce at farmers’ markets.


Filling in the Gaps to Strengthen the Food Resource Safety Net

• Despite all of the food assistance programs, emergency shelters and community food programs are straining to meet the rising request for food.

• Much of the increased demand is coming from the working poor and families with children.


Demand for Emergency Food Assistance


The Rising Tide of Food Assistance Need

• To fill the gaps in the federal programs, citizens are working through community programs and churches to provide meals for the hungry.

• Second Harvest is the nation’s largest supplier of surplus food and distributes food to food banks and other agencies.


The Rising Tide of Food Assistance Need

• An estimated 23.3 million people relied on food banks, soup kitchens, and other agencies for emergency food in 2001.

• However, increases in the numbers of food banks, pantries, kitchens and other emergency food assistance programs cannot keep pace with the growing number of hungry people seeking assistance.


Community Food Security: Enhancing Local Food Access• In an effort to reduce hunger,

USDA has partnered with states to create a new Community Food Security Initiative.

• Community-based initiatives include farmers’ markets and community gardens established on vacant city lots.


Community Food Security: Enhancing Local Food Access• Other activities include food

recovery and gleaning programs that collect excess wholesome food that would otherwise be thrown away for delivery to hungry people.


Community Food Security: Enhancing Local Food Access• Farmers’ Markets• Community-Supported Agriculture

Programs• Farm-to-School Initiatives• Food Stamp Outreach Programs• Community Gardens• Food Recovery and Gleaning Programs• Food-Buying Cooperatives• Directory of Supply and Demand for

Community Food Surplus


Overcoming Barriers to Increasing Fruit and Vegetable Consumption

• Kane Street Community Garden – Brought together educators,

volunteers, and families– Increased fruit and vegetable

consumption among a low-income population in Wisconsin



• Goals and Objectives– Established to increase the consumption of

fresh fruits and vegetables among low-income residents of La Crosse County

– Objectives:• Establish a community garden on a vacant site• Begin free distribution of community garden

produce• Provide opportunities for learning to prepare fresh

fruits and vegetables



• Methodology– Hunger Task Force established a

subcommittee to oversee the planting of a community garden

– City Planning Department donated a parcel of land

– Volunteers prepared the garden for planting– AmeriCorps volunteers recruited to help the

committee oversee maintenance/harvesting



• Methodology (continued)– Harvested produce distributed to low-

income families free of charge 2 nights/week throughout the harvest season

– Remaining produce was donated to local food pantries and free meal sites

– Preparation tips, recipes, and fact sheets provided on harvest nights



• Results– 1998: 5,006 pounds of produce grown and

distributed– 125 community residents volunteered– 95 low-income families helped harvest– 6 community organizations distributed

surplus produce to needy families– 71% of participating families stated that

their fruit and vegetable consumption had increased



• Lessons Learned– Subcommittee decided to expand the

garden and sell a portion of the additional produce to raise funds

– Subcommittee decided to hire a part-time coordinator to help protect the volunteers from burn-out


Beyond Public Assistance: What Can Individuals Do?

• Assist in these programs as volunteers.

• Help inform low-income people about these programs.

• Increase accessibility of existing programs to those who need them.


Beyond Public Assistance: What Can Individuals Do?

• Support local farmer’s markets, community gardens, and roadside stands.

• Learn more about the problem of food insecurity.

• Exercise their right to vote.


Moving toward Community Food Security

• Community Food Security– “A situation in which all community

residents obtain a safe, culturally acceptable, nutritionally adequate diet through a sustainable food system that maximizes self-reliance and social justice.”

• M.W. Hamm and A. C. Bellows, Community food security and nutrition educators, Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior 35 (2003): 37–43.



• Food Systems, Sustainability, and Sustainable Community Food Systems– Food system - a set of interrelated

functions that includes:• Food production, processing and

distribution• Food access and utilization by individuals,

communities and populations• Food recycling, composting and disposal



• Evidence-Based Strategies to Build Community Food Security – Stage 1: Initial Food Systems Change– Stage 2: Food Systems in Transition



• Connecting Emergency Food Programs with Urban Agriculture Projects– Michigan Food Bank Project - administers 18

community gardens in the Lansing area

• Creating Multi-Sector Partnerships and Networks– Example: partnerships and networks are

created by: • Providing nutrition education at farmers’ markets • Conducting research on barriers to establishing,

accessing, and participating in farmers’ markets within low-income communities



• Facilitating Participatory Decision-Making Processes and Policy Development– Food policy council (FPC) - an officially

sanctioned body representing various segments of a state, city, or local food system

– Community-mapping process - involves analyzing the community environment, examining the causes and consequences of food insecurity, and implementing strategies for improving local CFS



• Facilitating (continued)– Multi-stakeholder workshop -

workshop intended to provide a common vision and a platform for building consensus among diverse participants who may have divergent or competing interests

– Stage 3: Food Systems Redesign for Sustainability

© 2006 thomson-wadsworth chapter 5 food insecurity and the food assistance programs

Documents

thomsonwadsworth slide

hunger food insecure

food secure food insecure

quality of food

emergency food

sufficient food

united states food insecure

united states food secure