Concannon: Food insecurity report shows programs working
September 07, 2011 | 10:16 PM | Filed in: Food security Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services
The percentage of American households that are food insecure — meaning that they do not have or fear not having adequate food — remained about the same, according to an annual report released by the Agriculture Department today, while the percentage of households that experienced very low food security — meaning that they did not have the quantity of food they needed — went down.
In 2010, some 17.2 million households, or 14.5 percent, experienced food insecurity, the report said. Those in which food intake was reduced because there wasn't enough dropped from 5.7 percent in 2009 to 5.4 percent, or 6.4 million households.
Agriculture Undersecretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services Kevin Concannon said that 59 percent of the food-insecure households are participating in USDA nutrition programs, and that the reason for the decline was that the programs are working properly.
“As long as hunger exists in this country of ours we can and must do more,” Concannon said in a call to reporters. With U.S. agricultural production so bountiful, “hunger is unacceptable,” he added.
In 2010, some 17.2 million households, or 14.5 percent, experienced food insecurity, the report said. Those in which food intake was reduced because there wasn't enough dropped from 5.7 percent in 2009 to 5.4 percent, or 6.4 million households.
Agriculture Undersecretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services Kevin Concannon said that 59 percent of the food-insecure households are participating in USDA nutrition programs, and that the reason for the decline was that the programs are working properly.
“As long as hunger exists in this country of ours we can and must do more,” Concannon said in a call to reporters. With U.S. agricultural production so bountiful, “hunger is unacceptable,” he added.
