Food Insecurity in America: A Place at the Table

Perhaps one of the reasons many people are regaining interest in gardening today is due to the conscious or subconscious fear of food insecurity. We hear so much about food-borne illness due to crops like spinach being contaminated with e.coli, meat recalls for a variety of reasons mostly related to unhealthy animals living in deplorable conditions, and the rising price of just about everything either due to speculations in food and gas availability (whether directly or indirectly related to our haphazard weather patterns globally).

People also feel insecure, not knowing what’s actually in our foods and what’s not (think GMOs) as well as whether or not they’ll be able to afford good and healthy food for their families while wages don’t seem to be going up much to catch up with the rising costs associated with the transportation and delivery of fresh, unprocessed foods.

As a result, it’s no secret that we have undernourished people, including children, who are food insecure in America. Although we know this is the case across the globe, it’s a real eye-opener to see it happening in a place we honestly don’t expect it to be.  Subhanallah.  

As global citizens, as citizens of our nations, our cities, our towns and our communities, we can all make a difference to be a part of the change, even if it’s in a small way. Grow a garden. Grow a little extra. Teach other people how to do it. Share your harvest. These are just a few ideas.

Here are the numbers:

49 million Americans live in food insecure households http://t.co/YMhnmKRuqP #InPlainSight pic.twitter.com/BnQBzUIp4q

— NBC News (@NBCNews) April 18, 2014

This is the documentary I watched, A Place at the Table, to understand more about food insecurity in America and am deeply jolted and saddened to see how many children are developing serious health issues due to undernourishment. I have faith and hope that all of us who can do something to help, will. I’m especially delighted to see famed Top Chef Judge Tom Colicchio talking about it in this film- it’s awesome to see folks in the culinary industry push for a change when it comes to fighting hunger.