FOOD SECURITY
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Food security is a concern about the ability of citizens to have access to affordable, fresh, locally produced, nutritional food. Food security is a societal right, and yet many people struggle daily with having enough food to meet their personal or familial needs. NO ONE SHOULD GO BEGGING FOR A MEAL! Everyday, significant amounts of fresh food (often from restaurants, grocers, farmers, or refrigerator leftovers) are discarded. However, something can be done about this. Food banks, gleaners, charitable food-related businesses, well-stocked neighborhood markets, farmer's markets, community gardens and home gardens are effective ways to create Community Food Security. Government and dedicated organizations are teaming to define viable strategies for improving food security. This page will help you briefly understand your personal right to nutritional food. The resource links will connect you to more information. We expect to keep adding to this page, so visit now and then. |
Victory Gardener spokesperson and author, Jim Wilson
To a person with an empty stomach, food is God.
Mahatma Ghandi |
The Personal Right to Nutritional Food
The concept of food security is personal and important. It is our Story of Food. Food is the fuel for our body. Air, water, food = our body's ability to survive. We can say our food security began in our mother's womb and soon after birth, eventually characterized by what we eat and our eating habits and preferences. Our personal food story is primarily economical — the cost of food, where we buy it, how much we are willing to pay, the costs incurred in getting it to our hands, and the price of health care associated with diseases or conditions related to diet and consumption. Community Food Security is a critical need in society today. It is founded on one principle: Everyone has the right to wholesome, nutritional food.This principle includes several key elements:
If you want to know more about food security in your specific community please visit the two websites below. The flyers shown below are obtainable from The Community Food Security Coalition, or downloadable from our website, as noted.
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Resources for Food Security
Cascadia Food Not Lawns Community Food Security Coalition Cool Foods The New Agrarian Center Ecomom Alliance Feeding Hope White House Farmer Just Harvest Community Alliance with Family Farmers US Working Group on the Food Crisis Healthy Corner Store Network Why Hunger Environmental Working Group The E. F. Schumacher Society The Who Farm Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems National Resources Defence Council Agriculture Coalition Prevention Institute Eat Local Challenge Grist Organic Nation.tv Green and Natural Parenting Just Food: Food Education EMO Faith Initiative Food Oregon Slow Food Nation KYF - Know Your Farmer Children's Gardening & Nutrition The Edible Schoolyard Berkeley Birth To Three WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Programs Educational Programs, Curriculum Guides University of Florida Environmental Horticulture Department California School Garden Network Civil Eats: School Gardens Across the Nation, and a Resource List for Starting Your Own School Gardens Across America: A Garden at Every School 
The U.S. SNAP Program Encourages Food Gardening Every month, more than 44 million people use SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) to get nutritious food. Most of us probably imagine participants buying items like tomatoes, squash, and apples with their benefits. But did you know that SNAP can also help people grow their own food? With SNAP, participants can buy seeds and edible plants. It’s a great way to get fresh produce right at home! All SNAP retailers, including Farmers’ Markets, can sell seeds and plants to SNAP participants. For every $1 dollar spent on seeds and fertilizer, home gardeners can grow an average of $25 worth of produce. Growing food from seeds and plants makes SNAP benefits last longer, allowing recipients to double the value of their benefits over time. Supplementing SNAP with homegrown food makes it possible for families to buy food products that they wouldn’t normally be able to afford. Being producers as well as consumers is an empowering experience for SNAP participants. It allows them to feel self-reliant. It’s also another great way to promote nutrition, enabling people to take pride in eating their own homegrown fruits and vegetables. |
