Food Security Declines

Food Security Declines. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Line On Agriculture.
The United States has seen a jump in households that lack consistent access to adequate amounts of nutritious food. Oregon farmers and ranchers are doing what they can to help reverse the trend. The latest study on food security, which captures data for 2008, shows 14.6 percent of the nation's households are actually classified as food insecure. That concerns Katy Coba, director of the Oregon Department of Agriculture.

COBA:  In 2008, we in the US have reached the highest level of food insecurity that we've ever been at, and in 2009, I'm guessing that number will even increase. It's very worrisome.

In Oregon, more than 13 percent of households experienced food insecurity over a three-year period starting in 2006. More than six percent fell into a category of experiencing hunger, and needed emergency food boxes.

COBA:  The production is not the problem. It's definitely getting the food to the folks who need it in a way that they can afford it. That becomes a bigger challenge.

Oregon agriculture has stepped up to help those in need through efforts such as Farmers Ending Hunger, a group of producers who designate a portion of their harvest for donation to the Oregon Food Bank Network. But Coba reminds everyone that while agriculture is among those challenged to meet the needs of a hungry population, some farm and ranch families are not exempt from food insecurity themselves. Coba says it will be a challenge for Oregon and US agriculture to meet the needs of a growing population in the future and it remains to be seen if there will be enough food produced to handle the demand.

COBA: Not only are we not getting the food to the people who need it now at a price point they can afford, we are going to start seeing pressures on the production side as well.

Coba reminds everyone that even though agricultural producers are trying to help stem the rising tide of food insecurity, they are not exempt from hardship.

COBA: Often times, it is farmers and ranchers in Oregon that can fall in that category of being food insecure. So, in a way, not only are we helping our urban cousins, we are helping ourselves.

That’s today’s Line On Agriculture. I’m Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.