Improving food and nutrition security during COVID-19, the economic recovery, and beyond
- Collection:
- Health Policy and Services Research
- Contributor(s):
- Bipartisan Policy Center, issuing body.
- Publication:
- Washington, DC : Bipartisan Policy Center, September 2021
- Language(s):
- English
- Format:
- Text
- Subject(s):
- COVID-19 Food Assistance Food Security Health Policy Pandemics United States United States. Department of Agriculture
- Genre(s):
- Technical Report
- Abstract:
- The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significantly adverse impact on food and nutrition security, though this was mitigated by increased support for federal food and nutrition programs. Poverty increased as businesses closed and families experienced job losses. Access, availability, and affordability of nutritious foods has been challenging given consumer financial constraints and supply chain disruptions. Food insecurity is defined as being uncertain of having, or unable to acquire, enough food because of insufficient money or resources. Specific estimates of food insecurity during COVID-19 vary based on multiple factors, including timing, population surveyed, and methodology, and range from 8% to 38%. USDA reported that food insecurity affected 10.5% of U.S. households in 2020, noting the prevalence of food insecurity did not change from 2019. It is likely that the benefit increases and flexibilities provided by the COVID-19 recovery legislation helped to prevent the increase in overall food insecurity. Food insecurity is historically more common among certain population groups, including seniors, people who have low incomes, and Black, Latinx, and Native American communities. USDA’s 2020 data showed that households with Black individuals and households with children did experience significant increases in food insecurity during the pandemic even as overall food insecurity stayed the same. While there is no official U.S. government definition of nutrition security, the term has been used to mean “consistent access, availability, and affordability of foods and beverages that promote well-being and prevent (and if needed, treat) disease.” Nutrition security is concerned with diet quality in addition to food access. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), having obesity and other diet-related conditions, such as Type 2 diabetes, increases the risk of severe illness from COVID-19 and may triple the risk of hospitalization. A recent study concluded that 63.5% of the 906,849 COVID-19 hospitalizations as of November 18, 2020 could be attributed to diabetes, obesity, hypertension, or heart failure, meaning the hospitalizations could have been prevented if the individuals did not have these conditions.14 Understanding how health status can affect conditions like COVID-19 can drive public health strategies to improve nutrition, and ultimately, health. Congressional and administrative actions have been pivotal in addressing food and nutrition insecurity caused by COVID-19. In 2020-2021, Congress passed five major pieces of legislation, appropriating about $35 billion in specific funding, plus additional spending as might be necessary, for programs that are key to addressing food access challenges related to COVID-19. Congress also allowed for waivers and flexibilities in implementing the federal nutrition programs. While these federal actions were decisive in stemming what could have been much higher rates of food insecurity, further investment and policy changes are needed. This brief is the first in a series of three by the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Food and Nutrition Security Task Force and provides recommendations for bipartisan, consensus-based recommendations for improving food and nutrition security during COVID-19 and the economic recovery. Implementation of the policy recommendations in this brief can also support food and nutrition security during future public health emergencies, economic downturns, and recessions.
- Copyright:
- The National Library of Medicine believes this item to be in the public domain. (More information)
- Extent:
- 1 online resource (1 PDF file (48 pages))
- NLM Unique ID:
- 9918333788706676 (See catalog record)
- Permanent Link:
- http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/9918333788706676