Overview
Food security—access by all people at all times
to enough food for an active, healthy life—is one
requirement for a healthy, well-nourished population.
- In 2007, 89 percent of U.S. households were food secure
throughout the entire year. The remaining households
(11.1 percent) were food insecure at least some time
during that year, essentially unchanged from 10.9 percent in 2006. More...
- ERS provides data access and technical support to social science scholars
to facilitate their research on food security and food
security measurement in U.S. households and communities.
ERS plays a leading role in Federal research on food
security in U.S. households and communities. This research
facilitates informed public debate regarding food security,
its impact on the well-being of children, adults, families,
and communities, and its relationship to public policies,
public assistance programs, and the economy.
Features
Household Food Security
in the United States, 2007—11.1 percent of U.S. households were food-insecure at some time during the year in 2007; 4.1 percent had very low food security. This report, based
on data from the December 2007 food security survey, provides
the most recent statistics on the food security of U.S.
households as well as how much they spent for food and
the extent to which food-insecure households participated
in Federal and community food assistance programs. 
Characteristics of Low-Income Households With Very Low Food Security: An Analysis of the USDA GPRA Food Security Indicator—Describes characteristics of low-income households that had very low food security in 2005. Under the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA), USDA monitors the food security of low-income households to assess how effectively domestic nutrition assistance programs meet the needs of their target populations.
Food
Insecurity and Hunger in the United States: An Assessment
of the Measure—An extensive review was conducted at USDA's request by an independent panel of experts convened by the National Research Council's Committee on National Statistics to ensure that USDA's data collection and methodology in the areas of food security and hunger are relevant and scientifically sound.
Recommended Readings
What Factors Account for
State-to-State Differences in Food Security?—This report describes State-level and household-level factors associated with State prevalence rates of food insecurity. Most of the inter-state differences in food insecurity are accounted for by these two factors.
Food Assistance
Research Brief: Food Insecurity in Households With Children—This
brief examines the extent to which the diets and eating
patterns of American children are disrupted because their
families cannot always afford enough food.
Guide
to Measuring Household Food Security, Revised 2000 —Provides
detailed guidance for researchers on how to use the U.S.
Household Food Security Survey Module to measure food
security and food insecurity. Statistics from surveys
that use these methods will be directly comparable to
published national statistics. Published by USDA's Food
and Nutrition Service.
See all recommended readings...
Recommended Data Products
Current Population
Survey Food Security Supplement—Available from
the Census Bureau on CD-ROM and on-line via the DataFerrett
system. The CPS Food Security Supplement is a nationally
representative survey of about 50,000 U.S. households
conducted by the Census Bureau for ERS annually since
1995. The data include information on household food security,
food expenditures, use of public and private food assistance
programs, and other information on how households cope
with limited food budgets.
For data access, documentation, and user notes for household
food security data, including CPS Food Security Supplements,
Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Cohort
(ECLS-K), Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID), and Survey
of Program Dynamics (SPD), see the food
security data page.
FANRP
Project Database—Provides details on extramural
Food Assistance and Nutrition Research Program research
projects, both past and ongoing, including the project's
objective, funding level, researchers, and expected completion
date. See projects under food
security.
Related Briefing Rooms
Related Links
America's
Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being,
2007—This report from the Federal Interagency
Forum on Child and Family Statistics includes ERS statistics
on children's food security.
U.S. Action Plan on Food Security—Links to questions
and answers on food security and the U.S.
Action Plan on Food Security.
USDA
Hunger and Food Security page—Information on
USDA's Community Food Projects Competitive Grants fund,
with links and information about various community food
security resources.
See all related links...
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