Justin Karmann of New Jersey is a non-profit leader and avid community volunteer. In the following article, Justin Karmann discusses food pantry insecurities, causes, and the impacts this crisis is having on the communities they serve.
Right now in the United States, 35 million people, a number larger than the top 12 most populous American cities combined, are fighting food insecurity.
Justin Karmann of New Jersey explains that the food shortage crisis has only gotten worse. Early in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic more than doubled the number of households coping with suppling adequate food to their homes to around 25%.
Soon, that number reached 28% of households with children. Then it was 30%. That meant that nearly 15 million children were living in households with inadequate food.
Despite those staggering numbers, Justin Karmann of New Jersey explains that shortages something of a silent epidemic in the United States. It doesn’t get the same attention as cancer, alcoholism or opioid addiction but is just as devastating.
The homes far more likely to experience food insecurity are single-mother households and those with an income below the line of poverty.
Justin Karmann of New Jersey says that the story of food scarcities and food pantry shortages is devastating. But it must be told.
Justin Karmann on Food Deficits
Food insecurity is considered the lack of consistent, steady access to the nutrition that every person in a household requires to live actively and healthily, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. Lack of food can be long-lasting or temporary for households and families.
The USDA defines food scarcities within two key categories. Low food security is characterized by a reduction in a diet’s variety, desirability, and quality, but good food intake is not often reported as reduced.
The second category, very low food security, includes lowered food intake and multiple indications of normal eating patterns being disrupted.
Justin Karmann of New Jersey explains that inability to afford healthy food is one factor in how the number of people affected measured. Hunger may result from food insecurity, but it doesn’t necessarily lead to hunger.
Causes of Scarcities
Justin Karmann of New Jersey says that there are several factors that influence food shortages. Unemployment and low income are two of the most common causes. The risk greatly increases when money to buy food is either not available or extremely limited.
Justin Karmann of New Jersey reports that nearly 29% of American low-income households experienced lack of proper nutrition in 2020, while food security’s national average in the U.S. is just over 10%.
Unemployment can quickly lead to difficulty meeting basic household needs, including a proper diet. As a consequence, children with one or more unemployed parents are far more likely to suffer from varying degrees of malnutrition compared to children with employed parents.
Lack of affordable housing has been found to directly lead to a heightened risk of food troubles as well. When forced to choose between safe (or any) housing and eating, many choose housing.
Adults who have some form of disability usually have a higher risk for food uncertainty since they usually have limited of opportunities, higher health care expenses, or both explains Justin Karmann of New Jersey. Adults with a lack of healthcare access or those with chronic conditions are also more likely to be part of this vulnerable community.
There are also large ethnic and racial divisions related to these issues. A little over 17% of Hispanic households and about 22% of black households experience food insecurity, both far more likely than white households and above the national average of 10.5%.
Justin Karmann of New Jersey says that there are a lot of reasons for the disparity, including conditions of neighborhoods, access to transportation, ingrained, systemic racist policies, and inequities.
One of the bigger causes is something that can be fixed. Around 19 million people in the United States live in “food deserts”, where food is more difficult to be found where they live.
Over 2 million people living in these food deserts also do not have access to a vehicle. And when sustenance is found in these areas, it’s typically far more expensive than what is being sold in suburban markets. That means that those in low-income communities not only have more difficulty locating food-related items but when they do, they may not be able to afford them.
Impacts
A food crisis can have an immediate and acute impact on households, especially those with children. Justin Karmann of New Jersey says that children who often struggle with physical and mental growth due to lack of sufficient available nutrition are more likely to develop learning disabilities.
While serious health issues may lead to food insecurity, it may also cause serious health problems as well. Since those who are unable to supply adequate food to themselves and their households, they must prioritize spending limited resources and often need to choose between medications and food.
Households facing this crisis, as well as numerous additional decisions, must decide whether to spend money on rent and bills or food. This is a crisis no one should have to face.
