Hunger and the politics of food

The White House held a conference on fighting hunger and diet-related diseases for the first time in 50 years to address President Biden’s goal to end hunger by 2030. The plan released this week relies on expanding SNAP benefits, increasing the supply of free school lunches and improving access to grocery stores and healthy food. In our region, one in ten households is food insecure, meaning they often don’t have enough to eat or know where their next meal will come from. With food prices up 13.5%, more households are struggling to afford groceries.

This hour, we discuss food insecurity in our region and look at who is most affected. We’ll also talk about the connection to chronic disease and the domestic policies that make it harder for families to eat well. Among our guests are MARIANA CHILTON, Director of Drexel University’s Center for Hunger-Free Communities, and HAILE JOHNSTON, co-founder of The Common Market.

We recommend

Center for Hunger-free Communities, Policy Solutions to End Hunger in America: Calling on the White House for Radical Strategy Change

Philadelphia Inquirer, What is food insecurity? How Philly navigates hunger, food deserts, and access to good food.– “Across the Philly region, one out of every 10 households doesn’t have access to affordable, healthy food on a consistent basis.”

Bloomberg, Hunger in America: Inflation’s Driving Up Need For Food Banks – “Americans Turn to Food Banks to Combat Hunger With Inflation Spiking”