The holidays are nearly upon us. As we plan for the coming feasts, we would like to believe that our food supply is safe and that food insecurity is something other people worry about. The pandemic should have served as a wake-up call showing us just how thin the tightrope is that our food security balances upon. Even without the pandemic supply chain issues, in 2023, 13.5% of U.S. citizens struggled to keep food on their tables. According to Feeding America, as many as 47.4 million Americans, including 13.8 million children, may experience food insecurity during the holidays.

MULTIPLE STRESSORS CAST SHADOWS OVER FOOD ACCESS

The issues quickly addressed below represent a skeleton of issues that should be the stars of their own articles, white papers, and books.

Unemployment, underemployment, and rising food prices put adequate nutritious food out of the reach of more and more people. Small communities have fewer opportunities for good pay and limited access to stores where healthy food is more affordable.

Poverty

We currently have sufficient food and government programs to ensure that no one should go hungry. The problem is getting that help to those that need it. According to the School Nutrition Association, 20% of American children lack consistent access to adequate food. Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry is a national campaign that aims to bridge the gap by increasing participation in government programs. By the 2023-2024 school year, all but thirteen states have either passed or introduced legislation to provide free school meals according to the Food Research & Action Center’s ‘Back to School 2024’ report. (Back to School 2024 Food Research & Action Center, 2024)

Homelessness in the United States is on the rise, with the National Alliance to End Homelessness’s State of Homelessness: 2024 Edition reporting a 12% increase from 2022 to 2023; likely due to factors such as the rising cost of housing and economic instability inflamed by the pandemic.

While we tend to picture the homeless as isolated singles, 37% are families.

Housing Costs

Housing is in short supply, driving costs beyond many Americans’ reach. Institutional investors are scarfing up what little available housing there is, doing cursory remodeling jobs, and renting them out, further amplifying the current low inventory problem. Meanwhile, rents skyrocket in line with the cost of traditional homes. Each increase results in a decrease in the family food budget.

Chronic Health Conditions and Aging

As of 2022, the National Council on Aging reported that one in four adults over 65 had to cut back on food, utilities, and medication due to healthcare costs, forcing them to make difficult choices and often divert money once reserved for food to cover medical expenses. Thirty-seven percent were worried they would not be able to afford health care in 2023 and beyond. Money once reserved for food is diverted to health care, creating a vicious circle where poor-quality food further decreases health and increases costs.

Discrimination

Marginalized populations face discrimination that can affect their ability to get or keep sustainable employment. Limited housing options often force them into neighborhoods with limited resources or smaller communities that lack access to affordable food, quality education, or reliable transportation. As a result, the cycle continues into the next generation.

Programs are available to help with the above issues, although they can be difficult to navigate. Other issues are equally complex, and I will discuss many in future articles.

Climate Change

Supply Chain

Pollinator Habitat Loss

Agricultural Practices

A series of unfortunate events from the 1920s through the 1940s led to the infamous Dust Bowl. At the root of the problem was a struggling economy kicked off by the stock market crash that heralded the beginning of The Great Depression. Even though 21% of all rural families received federal emergency relief during a portion of the depression; it wasn’t enough to buy expensive farm equipment, obtain seed for the next crop, and, after multiple failed-crop years, pay mortgages. Nearly 750,000 families lost their farms through foreclosure or bankruptcy. It didn’t help that a full-blown drought reined over the land.

Fields lay fallow. Exposed soil and drought combined to create the lethal state for which Robert Geiger, an AP reporter, coined the term the Dust Bowl.

Today’s Farming Practices Pave The Way For A Second Dust Bowl.

Areas for Immediate Action: Regenerative farming techniques could provide much-needed relief for our soil. One of the most promising solutions, no-till farming, is surprisingly also one of the easiest to implement. These techniques address several key issues, including the conversion of grasslands to cropland for intensive agriculture, overgrazing on pastures, and the continued plowing and tilling of soil. The 2014 Farm Bill encourages planting on compromised land, unfortunately contributing to the problem. All of these practices deplete the soil’s nutrients and leave it vulnerable to wind and water erosion.

Climate Change Requires Long-Term Solutions: While climate change presents a significant challenge, there are strategies for mitigating its effects on agriculture. These include:

1. Sustainable Farming Practices

• No-till farming reduces soil disturbance, improves water retention, and increases carbon sequestration in the soil.
• Plant crops like clover or rye in between cash crops to protect and improve soil health.
• Diversify and rotate crops to enhance soil fertility and break pest cycles.
• Integrate trees into farming systems (agroforestry) provide shade and windbreaks, and improve soil health.
• Minimize pesticide use through natural pest control methods.

2. Technological Advancements:

• Develop and utilize crop varieties that can withstand water shortages.
• Use technology like sensors and GPS to optimize resource use (water, fertilizer) and reduce waste.
• Implement efficient irrigation methods like drip irrigation to conserve water.
• Utilize weather forecasting and early warning systems to adapt to changing conditions.

3. Policy and Infrastructure:

• Support climate-resilient research and farming practices.
• Provide financial support and incentives for farmers who adopt climate-smart agriculture.
• Invest in rural infrastructure to support water management, transportation, and storage of agricultural products.
• Provide farmers with climate change adaptation and mitigation training and resources.

4. Addressing Climate Change:

• Transition to renewable energy sources and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
• Promote practices that capture and store carbon in soil and biomass (carbon sequestration).
• Work collaboratively on a global scale to address climate change.

It’s important to remember that these factors are interconnected, and a multi-faceted approach is crucial to effectively mitigate the effects of climate change on agriculture.