Household Food Security Versus Community Food Security

Last week the USDA found the highest levels of food insecurity in the U.S. since they began the report in 1995.

Food security measures a range of experiences around one’s access to food from the sensation of hunger to concern over having enough money to buy food.

This is a local issue. The state of Oregon was ranked second in the nation for rates of "very low food security," having seen a 69% increase since 2006. These numbers are almost certainly higher now since the 2006-2008 report does not reflect the repercussions of the 2009 recession. Read more about this here.

Increases in household food security signal the need for a focus on building community food security: creating the conditions necessary, at a local level, to ensure that all community members can access safe healthy food through a sustainable food system.