Sustainability

Food insecurity in the District

by Lynda Laughlin   •   February 5, 2009 8:08 am

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines "food insecurity" as "limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods." Or more simply, it's when a family can't afford a balanced, healthy diet. The USDA reports that 10 percent of DC households are food insecure. Food insecurity and related hunger issues hurt public health and our communities. Often, food insecurity comes from geographic and financial barriers.

Similar to how grocery stores are not evenly distributed across the city, the cost of food also varies across the city. In areas where the primary food source is a convenience store or corner market, food is generally more expensive.

Local nonprofits have long recognized the difficulty accessing affordable and healthy food in poor communities in the District. Healthy Affordable Food for All (HAFA) is a coalition of advocates, service providers and local food activists working to increase access to healthy, affordable food in all D.C. neighborhoods. HAFA created a useful interactive map to help families and service providers locate various food resources in DC. These resources include food pantries and emergency kitchens run by nonprofits and churches who provide direct and locally based assistance in the communities that need them the most. With a faltering economy, families are finding they need such services more than ever. Bread for the City reports that they are serving more than 11,000 people a month, a 10 percent increase from this time last year.

Solving problems related to food insecurity and hunger will take a coordinated effort between local agencies, communities, developers, and city government. There are several opportunities for individuals to get involved to help families across the District gain access to healthy and affordable food. In addition to donating to local food banks, such as the Capital Area Food Bank, Bread for the City is exploring ways to get fresh produce to all their low-income clients by organizing trips to local farms to collect surplus produce that does not make it to the shelf.