What is Food Insecurity
When I decided to write my thesis on food insecurity I did a survey amongst my church family. I wanted to learn what did the average person believe was the cause of community food insecurity. Unsurprisingly, most people identified the problem the same way the Department of City Planning and the USDA tackles the problem.
"People are food insecurity there is not enough supermarkets or because they lack of enough money." What I have found incredibly shocking is how many people in my church, fellowship and students were all food insecure.
Seven years prior to attending Pratt, I worked for the city and two established non-profits on an array of food system projects. However, it wasn't until I started writing my thesis that the distinction between Food Security efforts and Food sovereignty efforts on the political level became clear.
For my thesis, I did a survey among my church family and Crotona Coalition members. I wanted to learn what did the average person believe was the cause of community food insecurity. Unsurprisingly, most people identified the problem the same way the Department of City Planning and the USDA tackles the problem.
"People are food insecurity there are not enough supermarkets or because they lack enough money."
What I have found incredibly shocking is how many people in my church, fellowship and students are all food insecure. Whether they live in Englewood, NJ or East New York, or with me in the Bronx. Food insecurity refers to inconsistency at the household level in accessing food.
A better research question would be what are the roadblocks people face in eating quality food?
It is not about the financial resources or proximity to supermarkets. Yet this is the sole focus of not only moms and dads but of planners and policymakers.
There are many factors that impact whether or not a person has enough food to eat. As the cycle pictured beneath shows these factors influence and trigger each other.
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