Quoted statement attributed to Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, Feeding America CEO
“Hunger in the U.S. can feel confusing to people, considering this is the wealthiest nation on the planet, yet hunger is here. It exists among people in every state, in every community. To be sure, it doesn’t always look like hunger in other parts of the world, and the media is much more likely to cover the cost of groceries than they are to talk about families facing the reality of food insecurity and the effects it has on people—your neighbors, classmates, congregants, maybe you—everyday. We should be talking about that.
According to the most recent report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 48 million people live in food insecure households. This measure means that, at least some of the time, 48 million people did not know when or how they would have their next nutritious meal. For some households, this is temporary—perhaps an unexpected doctor bill overextended a tight budget. For some households it is ongoing because the cost of housing, childcare, etc. are growing faster than their income. One family told us, “We as parents have already shortened our own food intake so our children can have full bellies.” People across the spectrum are affected, seniors, college students, veterans, families excluded from the workforce because of disabilities and families with multiple people who are employed full time.
This is a fixable problem. No one wants to fix it more than the hardworking people, standing in the grocery store check-out line, calculating totals and hoping that they won’t have to put anything back, perhaps thinking about what they might say if it comes to that. Anyone who has been in that position knows the weight that it places on your shoulders, and study after study confirms it. Food insecurity is a malignancy on thriving. As one neighbor put it, “Food prices, among other things, keep us focused only on survival—not on wellbeing or things we could do to improve ourselves and our communities.”
The good news is that I have seen time and again how much the people in this country care about their neighbors and believe deeply that everyone deserves to have fresh, nutritious food every day. The 2024 Food Security Report will be the last report of its kind from our longtime partners in understanding hunger in America, the USDA. I believe this is an incredible opportunity to reimagine, alongside the USDA and other committed partners, even stronger measures that can help us to understand the realities, impacts, and solutions more clearly and deeply.
The people in the United States, whether they experience food insecurity or not, have continually demonstrated their commitment to ensuring people have the food they need. Where we have waivered, unnecessarily I believe, is in our commitment to acting in unity to end the problem for good, not from the top down, but from communities outward, standing together behind strong policies that provide pathways to self-sufficiency and ensure that everyone has the food and resources they need to thrive. Now is the time to make this happen. Let’s end hunger in the U.S. together.”
Key findings from the 2024 report:
- People from all backgrounds and demographics experience food insecurity, but disparities exist.
- More than 14 million children, or 1 in 5, live in food insecure households. The rates among children continue to be the highest since 2014.
- Food insecurity continued to remain higher in rural areas than urban areas.
- The majority of people experiencing food insecurity nationally are white. Black individuals are two and a half times more likely to face hunger than white individuals and Latino individuals are twice as likely to face hunger.
- Over one million more senior household members experienced food insecurity in 2024 compared to 2023. The food insecurity rate among individuals living in households with a senior age 65 or older rose from nearly 10% to 11%, or 1 in 9 individuals.
- Among the 48 million people who experienced food insecurity in 2024, more than a third – 16.5 million people – experienced a severe level of food hardship, characterized by reduced food intake and disrupted eating patterns.
Contact
Please contact one of our media representatives or call 800-771-2303
About Feeding America
Feeding America is committed to an America where no one is hungry. We support tens of millions of people who experience food insecurity to get the food and resources they say they need to thrive as part of a nationwide network of food banks, statewide food bank associations, food pantries and meal programs. We also invest in innovative solutions to increase equitable access to nutritious food, advocate for legislation that improves food security and work to address factors that impact food security, such as health, cost of living and employment. We partner with people experiencing food insecurity, policymakers, organizations, and supporters, united with them in a movement to end hunger. Visit FeedingAmerica.org to learn more.