Written by: Leonardo Rodriguez
Edited by: Esha Bagora
Food insecurity is classified and defined as the disruption of food intake and consumption due to a lack of money or resources. Many believe that food insecurity is only majorly found in developing countries such as countries in Africa or Asia though such belief is not true. According to HealthyPeople.gov along with Health.gov, Around 17.4 million households experienced food insecurity at some point during the year. Food insecurity has been proven to affect people due to several external issues such as income, unemployment, disability, and many others. For example, a whopping 31.6 percent of low income households were found to be food insecure just in 2016 and in many of those cases, such households suffered many factors that influence and lead to even more food insecurity such as unemployment, age, and other critical conditions. Studies show that things look even worse for 3rd world countries and developing countries such as Kenya and Chad. A study executed by WorldHunger.org and other co-partners found that in 2016 alone, more than 27% of individuals in Africa suffered from severe food insecurity which in numerical form came out to be more than 330 million individuals in Africa alone. The study also found that about 690 million people suffer from Food Insecurity across the globe. That's more than 9% of the global population that lacks enough food to feed themselves and their families due to many issues these people have no option but to face.
Knowing that you might ask well, what can we do to help towards the cause? Good question. The UN along with the United Way tell us a lot of things we as individuals can do to help the cause. United Way lists 8 ways we can help below:
1. DONATE ITEMS
2. WRITE A LAWMAKER
3. CALL LOCAL FARMS, STORES AND RESTAURANTS ABOUT FOOD RESCUE PROGRAMS
4. DONATE NON-PERISHABLE FOOD
5. PICK UP FOOD FROM LOCAL FARMS, RESTAURANTS, AND SHELTERS
6. PLAN OR JOIN A FOOD DRIVE
7. DELIVER MEALS TO SENIORS AND VETERANS
8. VOLUNTEER AT A LOCAL OR INTERNATIONAL FOOD DISTRIBUTION CENTER
The U.N also adds to the topic with its Zero Hunger Challenge and Goal 2 of the Sustainable Development Plan. These plans seek to provide children and families with enough food and resources to remain healthy and live longer. U.N’s goal 2 is to achieve zero hunger or at least resolve most of it by 2030. The U.N also developed Food System Sunnits across the globe whose goal is to help achieve U.N’s sustainable development goals with the help of professionals and volunteers which include the Zero Hunger Goal. Saying that, these organizations need your help. They need as much help as possible to reach their goal and make this planet a better one. Whether you’re a young High Schooler or an older individual, I encourage you to do your research and help the cause by taking one of these steps. Whether it's a small donation or a quick message to inform your friends and family, any help you can bring to the table will be greatly appreciated to help end Food Insecurity across the planet. So, will you help the starving families and individuals that die everyday with little to no food; or will you ignore this message and keep going with your day. The information is there; the choice is yours.
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