Hunger Facts
It is hard for many to believe that in the United States of America there
are people who go hungry. After all, the U.S. is considered the
“breadbasket” of the world. It is the richest nation on earth. It is
perhaps even the richest nation in the entire history of the world. Yet
hunger in America is a reality.
Here are some facts about hunger in our country:
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America’s Second Harvest, the nation’s major food bank network, annually
provides food to over 23 million people. That is more than the population
of the state of Texas.
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Some 7 million people in the U.S. require food assistance in any given
week.
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The U.S. Conference of Mayors reported in 2002 that about 16 percent of
those needing emergency food assistance in American cities were turned
away because there was no food to give them.
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In 2002, 34.9 million people lived in households where they were not
always sure there would be enough to eat. This number includes 13.1
million children.
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In 2002, 9.3 million people lived in homes where someone was hungry.
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The USDA recently found that about 96 billion pounds of food, or 27
percent of the 356 billion pounds of the food available for human
consumption in the United States, were lost at the retail, consumer and
food service levels. Fresh fruits and vegetables, fluid milk, grain
products, and sweeteners accounted for two-thirds of these losses.
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About 20% of the food commercially grown in the U.S. is left behind in
farmer’s fields for cosmetic or market reasons. Most of this food is
perfectly edible.
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More than enough food is wasted in America than is needed to feed everyone
in the country who experiences food insecurity or hunger.
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It costs the Society of St. Andrew about $25 to provide a hungry American
the amount of fruits and vegetables recommended by the USDA for an entire
year.
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