Can This Ambitious White House Initiative Wipe Out US Hunger?

Food insecurity has always been a concern, but the continued impact of inflation and an uncertain economic future have highlighted the issue of hunger in communities across the United States. In an attempt to address the problem head-on, the Biden administration recently announced a massive spending package.

Digging into the details

In a statement on Tuesday, the administration confirmed its moonshot program to end hunger nationwide by 2030 — and second gentleman Doug Emhoff was on hand at the White House to help lay out the details.

The entire package tips the scales at roughly $1.7 billion earmarked for at least 141 separate programs underway or in development.

Among the notable recipients of the grants is Bigger Table, an organization based in Chicago that aims to distribute 10 million meals to food banks across the Midwest by the end of the decade. The charity received $3.5 million to support its goal.

In addition to public money, support for the program has been made possible through pledges by private companies, non-profit groups, and local government entities.

Even food delivery platforms DoorDash and Uber Eats are on board, with the former pledging to team up with local grocers and the latter ramping up a food-delivery program

The scope of the problem

While most Americans are at least aware that hunger is a serious issue for many of their fellow citizens, data provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture reveals just how widespread the problem is:

• Food insecurity impacted roughly 17 million households in 2022.
• During the same year, 44 million people went hungry.
• The total number of people dealing with hunger included 1 in 5 kids.

The Biden administration’s latest investment is in addition to a commitment made in September 2022 to spend $8 billion on addressing domestic hunger.

Chris Agee February 29th, 2024

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