Food insecurity in the US rises for the first time in 11 years

More Americans faced food insecurity in 2022 than the previous year, marking the first annual increase in distressed households in more than a decade.

About 17 million American households, or 12.8% of the total, had difficulty at some point during the year providing enough food for all family members due to a lack of resources, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Wednesday. (USDA) in a report. The figure reveals an increase of 2.6% compared to 2021 (10.2%) and 2.3% with respect to 2020 (10.5%).

The prevalence of food insecurity was significantly higher than the 13.5 million households, or 10.2% of the total, recorded in 2021, the agency said, Bloomberg reported.

The 2022 increase broke a trend of consistent food insecurity reduction between 2011 and 2021, the USDA report highlighted.

This figure includes seven million households that faced very low food security, which is the most severe USDA classification range, in which one or more household members experience reduced food intake at times due to a shortage of money. and other resources to obtain food.

While the Department of Agriculture report does not explain the increase, food prices rose during the COVID-19 pandemic due to supply disruptions caused by crop failures and Russia’s war in Ukraine, making it difficult increasingly for poor families to cover their basic needs.

According to the report, about 6.8 million households were in a more severe range of food insecurity last year, when normal eating patterns were disrupted at times due to limited resources. That represents an increase of 5.1 million families in 2021. Last year saw the first increase since 2011.

About 13 million children affected

Amid the increase in food insecurity in American households in 2022, nearly 13 million children were found to have lived in a family that had trouble getting food at some point that year, the Department of Agriculture report revealed.

8.8% of households with children – 3.3 million families – experienced food insecurity at some point in 2022, up from 6.2% (2.3 million households) in 2021.

“These food-insecure households among children were sometimes unable to provide adequate and nutritious food to their children.”, emphasizes the report.

USDA researchers highlighted that from 2021 to 2022 there were statistically significant increases in food insecurity in almost all subgroups of household classifications, such as those headed by single mothers or from minority groups.

In this regard, Lisa Davis, vice president of Share Our Strange, which heads the “No Kid Hungry” campaign, described the figures as “a heartbreaking reality and an avoidable tragedy”.

Davis warned that all the progress made, even during the pandemic, has deteriorated since investment programs to fight hunger in low-income children and families were ended.

He defended investment in nutrition programs, school and summer meals, and tax benefits, which in some cases were canceled after the pandemic.

“These types of investments are especially critical for communities of color that experience persistent disparities“warned the activist, quoted by EFE.