Hunger Myths (Part II)

Hunger in America Myth 4 - The food that America wastes could feed everybody. It has been said that up to 40% of the food that America produces is not consumed but thrown away. Much of it is decomposing fruits and vegetables, which is unfit to eat or not practical to collect. Many canned foods are thrown out due to the expiration dates. Unfortunately, we cannot feed everyone hungry with these kinds of leftovers. There are initiatives around the country that have made it possible to retrieve millions of pounds of nutritional food from hotels and restaurants. These food donations have feed the hungry and also provided culinary job training for people who are not currently employed. Food banks in America have given hundreds of millions of pounds of nonperishable food items, and many food activists, also called gleaners, go to farms to get vegetables and fruits that may have just been thrown away.

Hunger in America Myth 5 - Hunger is about food. The number of Americans who struggle to put food on their tables has never decreased since the advent of the food stamp program. This is due to hunger is not just about food. It's really comes down to jobs and wages. What America needs now more than ever are jobs and decent wages. What America needs more is living-wage laws, tariffs which safeguard American jobs and affordable health care. There is certainly a need for more local food production, especially fruits and vegetables. These kinds of nutritional foods can keep Americans healthy and help end hunger in America.

So there you have it; the issue of hunger is America is not as cut and dry as we sometimes think. This is an amazing country and it is beyond criminal that people often face hunger pangs that are avoidable.