Food Security

Food Security in the United States and Beyond

Food Insecurity in the United States

In 2004, over 38 million people in the United States experienced food insecurity (20).  Evidence from the 1995 Current Population Survey shows that 17% of households with incomes <50% of the poverty level were affected by some form of hunger, whereas the rate falls to 1.4% for those with incomes >185% of the poverty level (21).  

Hundreds of thousands of businesses rely on corn production to make their products, ranging from livestock feed to soft drinks to soap to plastics (10).  As prices of corn increase, the price of products will increase.  Experts predict that food prices will increase by 2-3% in 2013 (17).  This may not sound like a large increase, but the average American family currently spends $151 per week on food, and with a 3% increase in food prices, families may end up spending over $200 more on food in 2013 (18).  This is a significant amount for many families, enough for some to perhaps switch to eating fast food that is less expensive but worse for their health.  Since corn is a main ingredient in livestock feed, increased corn prices could also lead to an increase in beef and dairy prices, as well (4).  Furthermore, corn has shown a recent decline in the market, down 48% to last year's total sales commitments, according to the USDA. (5).  

With increasing food prices, these numbers could definitely change, and food insecurity could affect more people.  Furthermore, those already experiencing food insecurity will see these effects intensify.  

Negative nutritional and non-nutritional outcomes have been associated with food insecurity in adults, adolescents, and children, including (20): 

• poor dietary intake and nutritional status, 
• poor health, 
• increased risk for the development of chronic diseases, 
• poor psychological and cognitive functioning, and 
• substandard academic achievement.

American farmers themselves will also be severely affected by reduced corn production.  While about 85% of farmers are covered by insurance, this does not mean they are not affected (17).  The insurance will cover their costs for 2012, but will not help them in 2013.  Many livestock farmers will also have to reduce their herds and flocks because feed is becoming too expensive (17).  

International Food Insecurity 

Not only are Americans are at risk for increasing food prices, so are those living in developing countries.  Climate change affects the globe, changing agriculture everywhere.  Because the United States is the main exporter of corn for the world, many countries that are dependent on U.S. corn as a food supply or stock feed will also experience food price hikes and shortages (8).  For example, livestock and crop production is one of the largest industries in the Sahel, making up 40% of the GDP and employing over 60% of the population.  A prolonged drought in the Sahel in the 1960s caused crop and livestock productivity to sharply decline, leading to many hunger-related deaths and "unprecedented rates of migration from north to south, from rural to urban areas, and from landlocked to coastal countries" (7).  Temperatures still remain too high in the Sahel, causing the amount of crop and livestock produced to be less than varietal potential.  Each year, hundreds of thousands of children and infants in the region still die each year from hunger-related causes, and malnutrition contributes to long-term mental and physical disabilities, and over recent decades most of the region’s poorest households have lost their livestock or other assets (7).  

Probabilistic projections of production impacts in 2030 from climate change - colors indicate level of severity (11)

The United States produces 40% of the world's corn, making it a huge factor in international exports (3).  However, due to temperature spikes, the price of corn per bushel has increased by 40%, hitting a record high of $8.29 a bushel (10).  Developing countries rely heavily on US exported corn as food supply as well as ingredient in product manufacturing, and if corn becomes too expensive, the U.S. could lose a huge source of income.  The slowing economy in Europe could also reduce investments in purchasing U.S. corn, as well (19).  According to Capital Economics, it is estimated that rising food prices could reduce the pace of U.S. economic growth by 0.1% (17).