In 2023, 47 million people relied on assistance from the Feeding America charity and 14 million children were reported to have relied on food assistance programs. Meanwhile, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates that nearly 40% of the nation’s food supply ends up in landfills, which ultimately leads to environmental issues due to the increased emissions of methane gas in these landfills.
This cycle of food waste is said to drain vital resources, including the energy needed for food production, which accounts for 10% of the national energy budget, 50% of its land and 80% of its freshwater supply.
According to the USDA, food waste includes edible food that is lost before consumption, including spoilage during transportation, over-ordering food, inadequate storage, equipment malfunctions and consumers discarding leftovers. There have been national goals set towards reducing food waste.
In 2015, the USDA and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) set a goal to reduce food waste by 50% by the year 2030. The EPA used the 2010 baseline to estimate that each person in the US wasted an average of 218 pounds of food annually, and they aimed to reduce this to 109 pounds per person by 2030. The USDA estimated that 31% of food loss was at the retail and consumer levels, which totals to about 133 billion pounds of food, costing $162 billion.
Food insecurity is amplified by socioeconomic factors, with the recent COVID-19 pandemic intensifying the issue. The reduction of the Child Tax credit, a federal financial benefit aimed at helping families with the cost of raising children, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits has placed additional strains on households post the pandemic.
In 2023 the Food Research and Action Center estimated 13.5% of U.S. households had experienced food insecurity and 5.1% of them were skipping meals. The Food Research and Action Center also reports that 23.3% of Black Americans and 21.9% of Latinos are affected by food insecurity, nearly double the 9.9% of White American households facing the same issue. The highest rates of food insecurity were reported in the southern states, the highest being Arkansas with 18.9% of people facing food insecurity.
National initiatives are working to alleviate food insecurity across the country. Food banks nationwide have reported an increase in consumer demand and are struggling to keep up. In 2023, 95% of food banks reported a rise in consumer needs following the reduction of SNAP benefits. The National School Lunch Program (NSLP), which provides free meals to students, has also aided in relieving food insecurity among children in the U.S. In 2022 the state of California started a new program, California’s Universal School Meals (USM) program, ensuring that all students receive a free breakfast regardless of their eligibility. This program was largely funded through federal reimbursements and state allocations and was set to meet the nutritional standards set by the USDA. These programs have reported challenges with allocating proper ingredients, staffing shortages, logistic issues and administration burdens.
Local initiatives have also helped reduce food insecurity. In Riverside, approximately 12% of the residents are currently experiencing food insecurity. The city has been working closely alongside Feeding America, opening a location in the Riverside-San Bernardino area. Additionally, the Community Settlement Association of Riverside offers food pantry services to support those in need. National and local efforts to address food insecurity provide support and solutions needed to create a more equitable food system.
