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Monday, October 30th, 2023

Food insecurity spiked last year, new report shows

Author:     Emily Peck
Source:     Axios
Publication Date:     Oct 27, 2023
Link: Food insecurity spiked last year, new report shows
Stephan:  

The United States is at once the richest country in the world and one of the most difficult in the world to live in if you aren’t affluent. It is a national disgrace that thousands of families don’t have enough to eat properly. It is also incredibly expensive because it results in all kinds of chronic medical conditions. Meanwhile the nasty circus we call Congress does nothing, and the Republicans actually try to cut food support for children.

The number of Americans who were food insecure — meaning they couldn’t reliably afford to eat — soared last year, according to new government data.

Why it matters: The economy might’ve looked great in 2022 by some metrics, like the low unemployment rate, but not this one.

  • Food insecurity spiked to a level not seen since the U.S. economy was slowly recovering from the financial crisis.
  • Historic inflation rates and the disappearance of pandemic-era benefits hammered vulnerable Americans last year.

Zoom in: The share of households that couldn’t reliably afford food rose to 12.8% from 10.2%, according to the report released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s economic research service.

  • Food insecurity, per the USDA’s definition, means that at times during the year, a given household was unable to acquire an adequate amount of food for one or more of its members because they didn’t have enough money or resources.
  • It can mean households rely on a few very basic foods and reduce variety in their diets. Those with “very low” food security […]
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