Food problems? In my America?

Every week, people hear about food security problems in one way or another. Whether it be the stereotypical "starving African", refugees in Haiti, or problems in Asia, you hear about it in one way or another. However, most people don't think about the more immediate food security problem—the one here at home.

"But we're a developed, industrialized nation!", I hear you saying. "Why would we, here in America, have food security problems?" There are a myriad of reasons, from the political (food subsidies, agribusiness) to the economic (homelessness, no money, no job). While it might be true that we here in America have somewhat of a social safety net, it's still a definite problem. It might sound harsh, but an entire subset of the population can't live on the charity of the public indefinitely. Until we solve our problems at home, America will never reach true food security.

Let's look at some facts. According to the USDA's Economic Research Service, in 2008, "85 percent of U.S. households were food secure throughout the entire year, and 14.6 percent of households were food insecure at least some time during that year, up from 11.1 percent in 2007. This is the highest recorded prevalence rate of food insecurity since 1995 when the first national food security survey was conducted." Those are some worrying statistics. If one of the world's most developed countries has 14.6% of its population—4.4 million—with food problems at some time throughout the year, you definitely have a problem.

Now come the tough part: what exactly is the solution? It definitely isn't charity or welfare—those are truly stop-gap measures that help in the short term, but don't have much positive effect in the long term. However, one shouldn't lose hope. Look to the global community for inspiration. We have the technology—genetically modified crops, neighborhood gardens, sustainable food programs—to make this work. What EVOKE agents do in Tokyo could just as easily apply to America, Australia, or Africa. It's not a question of whether or not we can create food security for the world—it's when we're going to do it. Let's help secure a small chunk of success for future generations. Let's do it now.