Monday, July 27, 2009
A new food study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture reveals there are approximately nine million Americans who lack sufficient food to eat., It is estimated (based on a 2001 survey) that 3.1% of the U.S. population “sometimes or often did not have enough to eat.” Another 16% have enough to eat, but not the kinds of food they want.
The study (Access to Affordable and Nutritious Food: Measuring and Understanding Food Deserts and Their Consequences) was conducted by the USDA’s Economic Research Service after Congress ordered it to determine how much of the country experienced limited access to affordable and nutritious food, how this situation affects local populations, and to offer recommendations for solving the problem. Many of those without access to the food they want are limited by physical disabilities.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
The Extent of Limited Food Access in the United States (Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture) (PDF)
Access to Affordable and Nutritious Food—Measuring and Understanding Food Deserts and Their Consequences: Report to Congress (Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture)
Comments