Food insecurity

"Food security means that people have access, at all times, to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members. At a minimum, this includes: 1) readily available, nutritionally adequate, and safe foods and 2) assured ability to acquire personally acceptable foods in a socially acceptable way."

"According to figures from 2014, there are 5.4 million Californians that are food insecure – meaning they have uncertain access to enough food to eat. This lack of access can mean: not having enough food for an active, healthy life for household members, and
limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate foods. There are 2.3 million children experiencing food insecurity in California. For children, not having enough of the right kinds of foods can have serious implications for a child’s physical and mental health, and academic achievement. The availability of locally-sourced, healthy food in a community, the price of food and where it can be purchased, and the capacity to store and prepare food all have an impact on food security."

"Food deserts can be described as geographic areas where residents’ access to affordable, healthy food options (especially fresh fruits and vegetables) is restricted or nonexistent due to the absence of grocery stores within convenient traveling distance."

"With 870 million people around the world who do not have access to a sufficient supply of nutritious and safe food, establishing global food security is important not only to hundreds of millions of hungry people, but also to the sustainable economic growth of these nations and the long-term economic prosperity of the United States."