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Food insecurity, a situation where families have little or no sufficient food due to poor finances or other resources, is a major problem. Every day, millions of families face daily uncertainty in putting food on the table. According to the United Nations, more than 840 million people may be impacted by hunger or poverty by 2030. While the numbers are significant by themselves, the possible severe health impacts of food vulnerability are more alarming.
What is Food Insecurity?
The lack of availability of the types and quantities of food required for each household member to sustain a satisfactory standard of living is known as food insecurity. One of the main signs of food insecurity is hunger, which is determined by the frequency of undernourishment. The incidence of undernourishment and severe food insecurity thus represent the consequence of extreme food poverty in the population, notwithstanding the differences in assessment techniques and data.
Food Insecurity in the United States
The USDA (The United States Department of Agriculture) puts food insecurity as "a household-level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food."
The United States has an unprecedented degree of food insecurity. People of various socioeconomic statuses, geographical areas, sexes, ethnicities, and colors are affected by the hunger problem. In 2021, 10.2 percent of US households were food insecure at least some time during the year, including 3.8 percent (5.1 million households) that had very low food security. The fight against hunger isn't faring well in the United States, given that the percentage of the population threatened by food poverty remains almost the same as in 2020.
Image: USDA
The USDA prepares food insecurity reports to keep the policymakers, and the people informed on the problem's ongoing severity. The National Food Security Survey, an annual add-on to the monthly Current Population Survey, is the foundation for the USDA's statistics on food security (CPS). The level of food security for American households is classified into four ranges listed below:
Image: USDA
Feeding America Fighting the Good Fight
There is no single solution to addressing food insecurity, but non-profits like Feeding America, with their dedication to humanity, remind us about our shared goal of ensuring that everyone deserves good meals.
Feeding America, the country's largest hunger-relief organization, has long worked to combat food insecurity. The organization runs a network of 200 food banks to raise awareness and alleviate extreme hunger and malnutrition across the country. Last year, they helped provide 6.6 billion meals to tens of millions of people in need. Since its founding 43 years ago, Feeding America has pioneered strategies for reducing food waste and giving people across the nation access to healthy food. They are committed to building a future free from food insecurity, the organization's mission is to advance change in America by ensuring equitable access to nutritious food for all in partnership with foodbanks, policymakers, supporters, and the communities they serve.
Why Should you care about Food Insecurity?
Because a world without hunger benefits us all, when people have access to nutritious healthy meals, it improves the economy, education system, quality of life, and social progress. A hunger-free world is an important part of creating a safe and sustainable future for all. But most importantly, we must care because we have empathy. Not feeling sorry for someone, but feeling with them— wishing for every family to have access to safe and nutritious foods.
Brands that give back
There are ethical and sustainable brands that donate a portion of their sales to something purposeful. With each purchase, a portion of the proceeds is donated to a cause close to their hearts. Every business should be doing more than just selling products and services.
Conscious brands that focus on sustainability are aware of the importance of giving back- they support local, national and international charity organizations like Feeding America. With billions of people on the verge of hunger, collaboration and immediate action are required to deliver food and humanitarian aid to the most vulnerable regions.
How is Terra Thread assisting in the Fight Against Food Poverty?
"With every Terra Thread purchase, our customers support Feeding America's campaign to end hunger by helping donate meals to kids and families in need."
Vikrant Giri, the founder of Gallant International Inc (Terra Thread's parent company), and co-founder of Terra Thread, pledged to donate over 100,000 meals back in 2019.
Giri's humanitarian approach traces back to his humble roots and deep care for the severity of hunger issues. Born and raised in Nepal, he personally witnessed the suffering caused by starvation. Giri recalls having to trek for hours to collect 30 pounds of wheat ration supply from the government after crop wreckage by the hailstorm. He also remembers how he was the boy in school with no lunch owing to a lack of family finances. All of these memories inspire his selfless journey of giving back to make a difference.
Hunger relief is at the heart of Terra Thread and Gallant's mission. It aligns with our goals of harnessing nature's power to not only provide eco-friendly products but improve people's lives as well.
Terra Thread and its parent company have already helped donate over 2.2 million meals (as of June 2022), of which a little over 1.5 million were through Terra Thread directly. But we are not stopping there; we hope to continue our donation.
You can make a difference by supporting hunger relief projects around you. Use your purchasing and voting power to demand that corporations and governments make the decisions and actions to make the UN's vision of Zero Hunger come true. You can directly work with Feeding America and join the fight to eliminate hunger in the US; find out how here.
