89% Food Secure in 2021 and More Wildfire Fighting Resources Requested
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson with your Agribusiness Update.**Data from USDA’s Economic Research Service shows 89.8% of U.S. households were food secure throughout 2021.
Food secure means they had access to food at all times for all household members.
The remaining 10.2% of households were food insecure at least some time, including 3.8% that experienced very low food security.
The prevalence of food insecurity AND very low food security were statistically unchanged from 2020.
**A group of western lawmakers last week asked the USDA and Interior Department for additional wildfire fighting resources.
25 lawmakers asked the federal agencies to assist in continuing to fight fires aggressively, communicate clearly and take administrative steps now to prepare additional personnel for when they are needed.
The lawmakers point out recent reports suggesting the U.S. Forest Service faces a significant wildfire staffing shortfall despite the recent pay increase.
**The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture has partnered with Grow with Google to train 2,000 teachers on digital skills.
The effort seeks to reach 200,000 students in rural communities by the end of 2023.
The Foundation is bolstering ag curriculum through the Farm Bureau Foundation Fellows Program, a fellowship that allows educators in agricultural regions to teach students where their food comes from.
The free lessons will be available to all educators interested in teaching students about food, fuel and fiber.