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Why Do Food Banks Still Exist in the Richest Country in the World?
How lawmakers have failed to protect millions of Americans who face food insecurity each year and what could happen if the issue goes unaddressed
In early 2020, a food bank in San Antonio, Texas made national headlines when it provided roughly one million pounds of food in a single day to more than six thousand families. Car lines stretched more than a mile long, which resulted in some people waiting up to 12 hours. This is just one of hundreds of food banks in the United States.
Before the pandemic, 35 million Americans, including over 10 million children were considered food insecure. Now, the number has risen close to 45 million, according to the Department of Agriculture. By the end of 2022, the number could be expected to rise above 50 million due to inflation, job insecurity, supply chain issues, and the rising likelihood of a recession.
The United States government could feed every man, woman, and child in the whole country without making any sacrifice. But it doesn’t. Instead, lawmakers find money each year to subsidize profitable oil companies; spend $800 billion on our Defense Spending budget; and bail out overly leveraged banks every time a recession hits.
How is solving hunger domestically not a top priority when the United States has more…
