[INFORMATIVE] Food Insecurity and Its Impact

Food Insecurity and Its Impact

Shahd Alrahomi

Food insecurity is a term that describes the insufficiency of food and resources. This is a significant problem that affects millions of people around the world. For instance, in the United States, over 44 million people experience food insecurity every year. Lack of nutritional food leads to inadequate diets for many families suffering around the globe. In this essay, the causes of food insecurity, how it impacts the world, and possible solutions to this issue will be discussed.

Usually, insecurity refers to a “lack of security” or “to be uncertain.” Therefore, one can infer that food insecurity means a lack of food security. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), “the condition assessed in the food security survey and represented in USDA food security reports—is a household-level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food.” Therefore, this inadequacy of nourishment is a significant issue to the extent that it deserves its own definition.

Food security is vital for the well-being of every individual. Everybody deserves to have a decent and stable life. Worrying when your next meal will be or having to ration to have enough for the next week is depressing, stressful, and flat-out unfair. Causes of food insecurity include poverty, unemployment, lack of affordable housing, discrimination against people of color and disabled individuals, and setbacks like natural disasters or unexpected severe health problems.

As mentioned before, food insecurity poses a serious risk to the physical, mental, and psychological well-being of the individuals who suffer from it. Malnutrition due to insufficient amounts of food commonly leads to depression, shame, stress, and depleted energy levels. It’s only natural that they feel this way, for these basic needs that should be fulfilled are robbed from their lives. Nobody deserves to experience hunger and feeling helpless seeing their families suffer alongside them.

Food insecurity not only affects people but also the environment in many ways. For instance, as mentioned by Internet Geography, “Food insecurity directly leads to soil erosion. This is because in many LICs the most fertile land is used for growing cash crops. These are crops grown to sell for a profit rather than be consumed by the farmer. Cash crops can include avocados, green beans and flowers. Poorer-quality land then has to be used to grow food for local people. This marginal land is devoid of nutrients and/or water which leads to the land rapidly becoming infertile. As infertile land cannot support agriculture the land becomes bare and susceptible to erosion by the wind and rain. This, along with overgrazing, means the soil has little or no cover, which leads to it being washed or blown away, causing soil erosion and desertification.” Another example, as mentioned by World Renew, is that “Commercial farming accounts for about 15.3 billion trees that are cut down each year to grow crops for livestock and clear land for grazing. These trees are being annihilated by farmers through chopping, burning, or bulldozing them into grazing fields.” Therefore, this shows that this predicament continues to agonize, humans, animals, and our environment.

The countries that suffer the most from food insecurity include Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, Ukraine, Somalia, and many more. According to Global Citizen, “In Yemen, 17 million people are facing acute food insecurity — or 60% of the population. In South Sudan, that figure is 4.8 million, or 45% of people. Other countries which have the highest numbers of food insecure people are Syria, Lebanon, the Central African Republic, Ukraine, Afghanistan, and Somalia.”

This difficulty cannot continue for any longer than this. Seeing other communities suffer from starvation and being in distress from this is immoral. Some are living carelessly, wasting food, while others are scraping for anything just to fulfill their hunger. You might say, “That's the way of the world and I can’t do anything about it.” However, this mindset will get you nowhere. Donations can go a long way. Even five dollars can buy somebody a meal!

Furthermore, food assistance programs must be organized to reduce food insecurity to ensure a thriving economy for all. As explained by Feeding America, “Food insecurity is when people can't access the food they need to live their fullest lives. There are many causes of food insecurity. But one thing is clear: financial security for everyone is the most effective way to end hunger.” By increasing access to food in these undernourished communities, higher chances of survival and living a decent life are inevitable. An additional solution to address food insecurity involves incorporating better wages, affordable housing, and working conditions for those afflicted.


Works Cited:
“8 Countries Now Battling Crisis-Level Hunger and Food Insecurity.” Global Citizen, www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/8-countries-acute-hunger-food-conflict/#:~:text=In%20Yemen%2C%2017%20million%20people%20are%20facing%20acute,the%20Central%20African%20Republic%2C%20Ukraine%2C%20Afghanistan%2C%20and%20Somalia. Accessed 29 Aug. 2024.

“Definitions of Food Security.” USDA ERS - Definitions of Food Security, www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-u-s/definitions-of-food-security/. Accessed 29 Aug. 2024.

Eben, Danielle. “Why Is World Hunger an Environmental Issue?” World Renew, 9 Feb. 2022, worldrenew.net/blog/world-hunger-environmental-issue.

“How Does Food Insecurity Affect the Environment?” Internet Geography, 19 Dec. 2023, www.internetgeography.net/topics/how-does-food-insecurity-affect-the-environment/.

“Hunger and Food Insecurity.” Feeding America, www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/food-insecurity. Accessed 29 Aug. 2024. “What Is Food Insecurity?” McKinsey & Company, McKinsey & Company, 17 Aug. 2022, www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-explainers/what-is-food-insecurity.