Food insecurity is a consequence of insufficient funds to afford purchasing food from the available supermarkets, highlighting a need for more affordable food options.

One way to investigate whether a great number of people in your area are experiencing food insecurity is to administer the USDA Household Food Security Research Survey, found here. This survey can help you determine the number of people that are considered high food security, marginal food security, low food security, or very low food security.

Churches and people walking into supermarkets are 2 ideas for where to ask people to take this survey, though there are other options. Contact us if you would like advice on how to administer this survey scientifically. Of course, any number of people who have low or very low food security is an issue, though it is up to you and your community leaders to determine what percentage necessitates an intervention. In the U.S., greater than 10% of people is higher than normal.

To assist in the short-term, improving and expanding (or establishing) charity food options such food banks can help a community move forward. Steps toward solving community poverty would be a long term solution for this problem.

See USDA Household Food Security Survey.