Weve all seen the lines.
Only this isnt 1931.
That number has only grown under the compounded pressure of theCOVID-19 global pandemic.
Yaroslav Danylchenko/Adobe Stock
Now were looking at nearly 50 million people not being able to know where their next meal comes from.
There are lots of issues driving food insecurity, but systemic inequities are a huge one.
In many cases, racism is a huge driver.
Theyre not natural, she says.
While the cause is pretty clear, the solution is more complex.
Urge politicians to rectify the effects of racist community policies.
According to Dr. Ratliff, though, there are often noticeable inequities in how the laws are implemented.
Youll see sustainable agriculture in the white universities, and not necessarily in the Black universities, she says.
Voter turnout is crucial in doing so, because even smaller elections can help areas work for change.
Berkeley, tells SELF.
Pay a fair and liveable wage for work.
The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, which has not changed since 2009.
Some workers make even less than that, includingtipped workersand agriculture workers.
Its a disempowering and ultimately counterproductive strategy.
Experts say now more than ever is the time for lawmakers to raise the federal minimum wage.
For instance, in July, Target increased its minimum wage to $15 an hour.
And just in February, Costco announced it was raising its rate to $16 an hour.
Continue and expand some of the food-access programs we already have.
And that holds true especially amid this health crisis.
Its essentially taking the place of the meals kids would have been receiving at schools, says Reinhardt.
In fact, for every meal that Feeding America serves, SNAP provides nine, Nguyen said.
According to Ichikawa, the efficacy of these programs is no longer up for debate.
One possible way to do that is to expand programs that provide boosted benefits.
There are some barriers to this, though, including easy accessibility to these markets and programs.
Increase the child tax credit.
Among the 50 million people across the country who are hungry, 17 million are children.
Another way to help cut hunger for them is by increasing thechild tax credit, Nguyen says.
Feed students no matter what.
They feared that since they were being homeschooled, they wouldnt be receiving breakfast and lunch at school.
I think as a country we should get more towards some national consistency, Ichikawa says.
It should just be a given.
Support resources that make it easier for people to grow their own food.
Buying their offerings, if theyre available to the public, can help too.
Support food banks and pantries.
But its still not enough.
We are not going to be able to food-bank our way out of ending hunger, Nguyen said.
The reason for this decline?
you could help on an individual level, too, by donating food or time to these food banks.
