Food security speaks to the availability of food in a country and the ability of individuals within that country (geography) to access,afford,and source adequate foodstuffs. According to the United Nations' Committee on World Food Security,food security is defined as meaning that all people,at all times,have physical,social,and economic access to sufficient,safe,and nutritious food that meets their food preferences and dietary needs for an active and healthy life. The availability of food irrespective of class,gender or region is another element of food security. There is evidence of food security being a concern many thousands of years ago,with central authorities in ancient China and ancient Egypt being known to release food from storage in times of famine. At the 1974 World Food Conference,the term "food security" was defined with an emphasis on supply;food security is defined as the "availability at all times of adequate,nourishing,diverse,balanced and moderate world food supplies of basic foodstuffs to sustain a steady expansion of food consumption and to offset fluctuations in production and prices". Later definitions added demand and access issues to the definition. The first World Food Summit,held in 1996,stated that food security "exists when all people,at all times,have physical and economic access to sufficient,safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life."
Malnutrition occurs when an organism gets too few or too many nutrients,resulting in health problems. Specifically,it is "a deficiency,excess,or imbalance of energy,protein and other nutrients" which adversely affects the body's tissues and form. Malnutrition is not receiving the correct amount of nutrition. Malnutrition is increasing in children under the age of five due to providers who cannot afford or do not have access to adequate nutrition.
Ann Margaret Veneman is an American attorney who served as the fifth executive director of UNICEF from 2005 to 2010. She previously served as the 27th United States Secretary of Agriculture from 2001 to 2005,and was the first,and to date the only,woman to hold that post. Veneman served for the entire first term of President George W. Bush,and she left to take the UNICEF position. Appointed by the U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan on January 18,2005,she took over the post on May 1,2005. A lawyer,Veneman has practiced law in Washington,DC and California,including being a deputy public defender. She has also served in other high level positions in U.S. federal and state government,including being appointed California's Secretary of Food and Agriculture,serving from 1995 to 1999.
In the United States,the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP),formerly known as the Food Stamp Program,is a federal program that provides food-purchasing assistance for low- and no-income people. It is a federal aid program,administered by the United States Department of Agriculture under the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS),though benefits are distributed by specific departments of U.S. states.
The Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (CNA) is a United States federal law (act) signed on October 11,1966 by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The Act was created as a result of the "years of cumulative successful experience under the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) to help meet the nutritional needs of children." The National School Lunch Program feeds 30.5 million children per day. NSLP was operated in over 101,000 public and nonprofit private schools in 2007. The Special Milk Program,functioning since 1954,was extended to June 30,1970 and incorporated into the act. The act also provided Federal funding assistance towards non-food purchases for school equipment.
Feeding America is a United States–based nonprofit organization that is a nationwide network of more than 200 food banks that feed more than 46 million people through food pantries,soup kitchens,shelters,and other community-based agencies. Forbes ranks it as the second largest U.S. charity by revenue. Feeding America was known as America's Second Harvest until August 31,2008.
Food policy is the area of public policy concerning how food is produced,processed,distributed,purchased,or provided. Food policies are designed to influence the operation of the food and agriculture system balanced with ensuring human health needs. This often includes decision-making around production and processing techniques,marketing,availability,utilization,and consumption of food,in the interest of meeting or furthering social objectives. Food policy can be promulgated on any level,from local to global,and by a government agency,business,or organization. Food policymakers engage in activities such as regulation of food-related industries,establishing eligibility standards for food assistance programs for the poor,ensuring safety of the food supply,food labeling,and even the qualifications of a product to be considered organic.
The Under Secretary for Food,Nutrition,and Consumer Services is a position created within the United States Department of Agriculture in 1993,and is responsible for administrating the department's fifteen nutrition and food security programs and for promoting the dietary guidelines.
Farm to School is a program in the United States by Michelle Obama through which schools buy and feature locally produced,farm-fresh foods such as dairy,fruits and vegetables,eggs,honey,meat,and beans on their menus. Schools also incorporate nutrition-based curriculum and provide students with experiential learning opportunities such as farm visits,garden-based learning,and recycling programs. As a result of Farm to School,students have access to fresh,local foods,and farmers have access to new markets through school sales. Farmers are also able to participate in programs designed to educate kids about local food and agriculture.
Despite India's 50% increase in GDP since 2013,more than one third of the world's malnourished children live in India. Among these,half of the children under three years old are underweight.
The United States Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs was a select committee of the United States Senate between 1968 and 1977. It was sometimes referred to as the McGovern committee,after its only chairman,Senator George McGovern of South Dakota.
Hunger Task Force,Inc. is a non-profit,anti-hunger public policy organization in Milwaukee,Wisconsin. Hunger Task Force works to end hunger in Milwaukee County,Wisconsin by providing direct food delivery services,and works to end future hunger by advocating for fair and responsible administration of federal nutrition assistance programs.
The Healthy,Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 is a federal statute signed into law by President Barack Obama on December 13,2010. The law is part of the reauthorization of funding for child nutrition. It funded child nutrition programs and free lunch programs in schools for 5 years. In addition,the law set new nutrition standards for schools,and allocated $4.5 billion for their implementation. The new nutrition standards were a centerpiece of First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! initiative to combat childhood obesity. In FY 2011,federal spending totaled $10.1 billion for the National School Lunch Program. The Healthy,Hunger-Free Kids Act allows USDA,for the first time in 30 years,opportunity to make real reforms to the school lunch and breakfast programs by improving the critical nutrition and hunger safety net for millions of children. Healthy,Hunger-Free Kids Act and Michelle Obama were a step in transforming the food pyramid recommendation,which has been around since the early 1990s,into what is now known as "MyPlate".
The Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) is a federal assistance program in the United States associated with the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women,Infants and Children that provides fresh,unprepared,locally grown fruits and vegetables and nutrition education to WIC participants. Women,infants and children that have been certified to receive WIC program benefits or who are on a waiting list for WIC certification are eligible to participate in the FMNP.
There were 795 million undernourished people in the world in 2014,an increase of 216 million since 1990,despite the fact that the world already produces enough food to feed everyone—7 billion people—and could feed more than that—12 billion people.
Hunger in the United States of America affects millions of Americans,including some who are middle class,or who are in households where all adults are in work. The United States produces far more food than it needs for domestic consumption—hunger within the U.S. is caused by some Americans having insufficient money to buy food for themselves or their families. Additional causes of hunger and food insecurity include neighborhood deprivation and agricultural policy. Hunger is addressed by a mix of public and private food aid provision. Public interventions include changes to agricultural policy,the construction of supermarkets in underserved neighborhoods,investment in transportation infrastructure,and the development of community gardens. Private aid is provided by food pantries,soup kitchens,food banks,and food rescue organizations.
School meal programs in the United States provide school meals free of charge,or at a government-subsidized price,to U.S. students from low-income families. These free or subsidized meals have the potential to increase household food security,which can improve children's health and expand their educational opportunities. A study of a free school meal program in the United States found that providing free meals to elementary and middle school children in areas characterized by high food insecurity led to increased school discipline among the students.
Obesity and the environment aims to look at the different environmental factors that researchers worldwide have determined cause and perpetuate obesity. Obesity is a condition in which a person's weight is higher than what is considered healthy for their height,and is the leading cause of preventable death worldwide. Obesity can result from several factors such as poor nutritional choices,overeating,genetics,culture,and metabolism. Many diseases and health complications are associated with obesity. Worldwide,the rates of obesity have nearly tripled since 1975,leading health professionals to label the condition as a modern epidemic in most parts of the world. Current worldwide population estimates of obese adults near 13%;overweight adults total approximately 39%.
This article is intended to give an overview of the welfare system in the U.S. State of New York.
The 1969 White House Conference on Food,Nutrition and Health was a historic first and resulted in landmark legislation. In his opening address on December 2,U.S. President Richard M. Nixon vowed “to put an end to hunger in America…for all time.”The three-day gathering came at the end of a decade of social,cultural,and political change which had resulted in a sudden awareness of the widespread malnutrition and hunger afflicting many poor in the United States. Eight-hundred academics and scientists,business and civic leaders,activists,and politicians developed more than 1,800 recommendations,which were reviewed by the 2,700 conference attendees and delivered in a full report to the President on December 24,1969. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program,Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women,Infants and Children (WIC),National School Lunch Program (NSLP),and the School Breakfast Program (SBP) are among the 1,400 nutrition and food assistance programs and recommendations implemented or improved as a result of the White House Conference. In May 2022,President Joe Biden announced a new White House Conference on Hunger,Nutrition and Health which was scheduled to convene on September 28,2022 in Washington,D.C.
