Bridging the Gap Between Food Insecurity and Food Waste in the U.S. – Can We Do It?

Introduction

Hunger and malnutrition are not issues of supply but rather issues of distribution. I hope to shed light onto whether the nutritional needs of a malnourished population in the U.S. can be met with the surplus of nutritional food that could be diverted from waste. The main problems include the poor nutritional value of food currently distributed to food insecure populations and the barriers to salvaging surplus nutritious food and distributing it to food recovery networks.

Food Insecurity in the U.S.

• 14% of U.S. households were food insecure in 2014
• Food insecurity not only includes lacking enough food but also includes lacking enough nutrition within what is consumed
• The U.S. is experiencing a hidden hunger, where many people are eating calorie dense but nutrient poor foods, where they are lacking essential vitamins and minerals

Food Waste in the U.S.

• 40% of food in the U.S. is never eaten
• Reducing this waste by a mere 15% has the potential to feed 25 million people

Nutritional Analysis of Food in Soup Kitchens

• One meal is inadequate in meeting the estimated average requirement (EAR) but two meals do meet the requirements for all nutrients except fiber
• Low-nutrient dense food served in soup kitchens can result in obesity and chronic disease in an already food insecure population

Distribution Issues and Areas of Potential Growth

• Top barriers for businesses to donate their surplus food → perceived risk of liability, inconvenient methods of donation, and limited ability of food recovery networks to collect and store food
• Solutions → educating businesses of the Good Samaritan Food Donation Act and providing support to food recovery networks to collect and store donations on a consistent basis
• Funding for more transportation and storage equipment = ability to collect highly nutritious, perishable items

Conclusion

Once again, hunger and malnutrition are not issues of supply but rather issues of distribution. There is a paradox between food waste in the U.S and a food insecure population. There are ways in which to successfully intervene in food waste so as utilize already existing resources and create a more food secure country. There simply needs to be movements that bridge the gap between the two.

If you want to read my full paper you can access it here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nDWIdURtE6of4q_fBv9THeOyL12oE870XHM7dBTIvz4/pub