To the Editor:
A disturbing trend for many U.S. households continues, as a new study from the Food Research and Action Center shows that more American families are experiencing "food hardship." It reflects a reality that defies our nation's long-standin
To the Editor:
A disturbing trend for many U.S. households continues, as a new study from the Food Research and Action Center shows that more American families are experiencing "food hardship." It reflects a reality that defies our nation's long-standing reputation as a land of plenty, proving to be a threat now and to future generations.
The study, Food Hardship in America 2010: Households with and without Children, defines food hardship as rates of households answering "yes" to the question whether there were times over the past year "when you did not have enough money to buy food that you or your family needed." Those rates are staggering, with 45 states and the District of Columbia having at least one in five households with children (20 percent or more) struggling with food hardship. Obviously, households need greater access to nutritious, affordable food to feed their families.
But farmers responsible for growing that food are under increased pressure due to growing public concern about the manner in which our food is produced, with some calling for radical change in how food is grown and brought to market. Americans have a right to expect farmers, food processors, restaurants and grocery stores to act responsibly.
The truth is, we need to support today's farmers so they can produce greater quantities of nutritious, affordable food and get it into the hands of those who desperately need it, decreasing food hardship in this country and elsewhere. It's a critical social priority, as proper nutrition is the foundation for achievement for children and adults alike. Rather than defend or attack today's food system, it's time that we rally together and ensure that we're able to continue increasing responsible food production, to feed the hungry.
According to United Nations projections we need to double food production by the middle part of this century to meet the needs of a growing global population. And, the World Wildlife Fund says we need to do it on the same amount of land to maintain our ecosystem. That means we need to produce more food using fewer resources every year for the next four decades.
U.S. farmers have been doing their part to help meet this challenge. An analysis of data from the Natural Resources Conservation Service shows that farm and ranch productivity has increased dramatically since 1950, while the use of resources required for production has declined markedly. Farmers in 2008 produced 262 percent more food with 2 percent fewer inputs, compared with 1950.
Producing more food using fewer resources is the ethical choice for people, animals and the planet. The FRAC report that one in five households struggles with food hardship should serve as a call to action. We must increase the availability of nutritious, affordable food, and increasing farm productivity is the first step to make that happen. If we don't increase the production of nutritious affordable food we will increase the number of people who go hungry.
CEO, Center for Food Integrity