Vt. hunger numbers show rise
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By Mel Huff Times Argus Staff - Published: November 21, 2008
More than 12,000 Vermont households, including those with children, struggle with hunger and frequently cut back or skip meals. The proportion of these households rose 71 percent between the periods of 1996-1998 and 2005-2007, from 2.7 percent to 4.6 percent of all households.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which released its annual report on household food security this week, calls them "food insecure with hunger."
Nearly 27,000 Vermont households – more than 10 percent – suffered from "food insecurity" during the 2005-2007 period, the report said. That means they ran out of food or lacked access to enough food for an active and healthy life.
The government reports the numbers as an average of three-year periods to smooth out random fluctuations. The data reported in "Household Food Security in the United States, 2007" were collected before the current rise in food and energy prices.
"The increase in food insecurity percentages is not surprising given the spike in food and fuel costs," said Christine Foster, who shares the position of interim chief executive officer at the Vermont Foodbank. "The new data show that Vermont has the 29th highest rate of food insecurity in the nation and the 14th highest rate of food insecurity with hunger. This is unacceptable in Vermont. We can do better," she said in a written statement.
Various measures show a relationship between poverty and hunger. The USDA notes that rates of food insecurity are "substantially" higher than the national average for households with incomes near the federal poverty line. And it reports that food-secure households spend more for food than food-insecure households.
Using as a measure the USDA's Thrifty Food Plan – a low-cost "market basket" that meets dietary standards – the report notes that "the median food-secure household spent 24 percent more than the cost of the Thrifty Food Plan, while the median food-insecure household spent 8 percent less."
These facts suggest that rising food costs may price the poor and near-poor out of adequate nutrition. The cost of food in the United States climbed 7.5 percent between September 2007 and September 2008, while the cost of healthier foods increased by more than 10 percent, according to the Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger.
The Vermont Foodbank notes that demand at its network of food shelves has risen 25-30 percent since last year. Hal Cohen, the executive director of the Central Vermont Community Action Council, said Monday that use of the council's food pantry has increased 90 percent.
Poor nutrition during the critical period of brain growth in early childhood has lifelong implications for children's development and educational achievement: Ultimately, it impairs participation in the workforce and affects the community through increased medical and educational costs, according to the Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger. A 2007 report commissioned by the Sodexo Foundation estimates that hunger costs Vermont $200 million a year.
"This is the time to make sure that every eligible Vermont senior knows about the food stamp program," said Dorigen Keeney, director of public policy and research for the Vermont Campaign. "Schools and child-care providers need to help families apply for free and reduced-price school meals and do their utmost to provide breakfast and lunch to the largest number of children. And employers need to help working parents obtain the earned income tax credit."
Keeney called on concerned citizens and organizations to "fully (deploy) every resource available to us."
To read the full report, "Household Food Security in the United States, 2007," go to: http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/ERR66/
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