Does Hunger Exist in the U.S.?

In the current negotiations over raising the debt ceiling, only the overall amount of possible reduction in public spending has been leaked to the press; there are no specifics about which public programs will be affected and by how much. Nevertheless, based on what has happened in the past, it is likely that those most affected will be those with the least influence, those who participate least in elections — which is to say, the poorest.

Although it is true that the U.S.’s welfare state is smaller than that of European nations, especially the central and northern countries, it is more substantial that what those in the Old Continent commonly believe. Food stamps form an important component of the safety net that protects the most vulnerable.

These coupons that millions of poor families receive can be exchanged for food at shops and supermarkets, which are then reimbursed by the government. Because of the economic crisis and the rise in unemployment, the number of families relying on this program has skyrocketed.

According to government data, the number of beneficiaries have increased from nearly 26 million in 2007 to 45 million in 2011, and half of all recipients are children. That is, nearly one in seven Americans is part of this program. Of these, 41 percent have incomes that are less than half of the poverty line.

Although the U.S. has the world’s most powerful economy, hunger is not entirely unknown to a part of its population. No official data exists about the existence of hunger in the U.S., but the government does record the percentage of families with “very low food security.”

These are families in which “normal eating patterns are disrupted because the household lacks money and other resources for food.” Certainly, this is not exactly equivalent to hunger, but it is very close, and it is the only reliable statistic we have on this matter.

According to the Department of Agriculture, which manages the food stamp program, 5.7 percent of U.S. households suffered from “very low food security” in 2009. In 28 percent of these homes, which makes up more than 15 million people, an adult did not eat for a whole day due to lack of resources.

As these numbers show, the food stamp program, which costs the Treasury about $68 billion per year (about half of the cost of the Afghanistan war), is not capable of completely solving the problem of food insecurity in the U.S., but it gives vital support for many families. This will continue to be the case if the unemployment rate does not change, as millions of people will see their unemployment benefits expire in the coming months.

We hope that in their negotiations over the deficit and debt, Republican and Democratic leaders do not forget the most vulnerable people and can look beyond political calculations.