Hunger Persists In America

17Nov09

1 in 7 U.S. families struggled to get enough to eat last year, with 49 million Americans having what the government terms "food insecurity".

"In over 500,000 families with children in 2008, one or more children simply do not get enough to eat. They had to cut the size of their meals, skip meals or even go whole days without food at some time during the year," Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said.

One of the ways the government tries to deal with this issue is through federally funded school nutrition programs designed to provide at risk children with nourishing options from breakfast and lunch. Vilsack is asking lawmakers to reauthorize and expand school nutrition programs for an additional 10 billion dollars over the next ten years.

I'm the last person who'd want to take away a child's lunch when it may be the only nutritious meal they get all day. Despite the fact that such efforts are only thinly masked entitlements, and by definition a redistribution of wealth, it would not be right to punish a child for the shortcomings of their parents.

However, this is another example of government nanny mentality. School lunch programs deal with a symptom of the problem, rather than the problem itself. The main reasons hunger persists in America is the way we have come to think about food. We are largely removed from the cooking process, and even further removed from the means of production.

People can live quite well on beans, rice, and a few vegetables; staples that literally anyone with a job can afford, with no ill effects. That's how you get through when hard times come. Many of our grandparents did it during the great depression, but we think we somehow deserve more than that.

It's evidenced in the way we offer food assistance itself. Those who receive assistance in the form of food stamps, or more likely a government debit card (because shaming people into improving their lives isn't politically correct), will never be as well fed as those who receive assistance from a food bank or co-op.

Americans as a people are ignorant of the very basics of human nutrition, and cooking wholesome food. They buy convenience foods that are easy to prepare, but also expensive in relation to their nutritional density. These habits persist in the choices those on assistance make when shopping.

Private sector motives to create solutions, coupled with charitable organizations can do a better job of solving the hunger problem than government can. But if taxpayer funds are going to be spent, they would be better put to use in re instituting the old USDA commodities food distribution program that gave families surplus food, and in teaching people to shop for and prepare wholesome meals rather than pressing 'start' on the microwave.

The holidays are upon us, and it's the hardest time of year to have to deal with not having enough to eat. Please remember the spirit of the season and give generously to your local food banks.

The Food Bank of Iowa can be reached at (515)564-0330.