June 2007

The percentage of households who cannot afford an adequate supply of food is far higher in the U.S. than in Canada – and the difference is particularly severe in families with children – according to a new study written jointly by researchers who work for the U.S. and Canadian governments.

Covering the years 2003-2005, the study found that out of all households, 14.1% of U.S. adults and 9.0% of Canadian adults suffered from food insecurity.

When I recently challenged a New York City Council Member Eric Gioia to join me for a week of eating only foods we could buy if we were in the Food Stamp Program, the main idea was to dramatize the need to the raise the average benefit size.

Given that I’m a long-time anti-hunger advocate, who previously worked for the federal government on food stamp issues, I expected that I wouldn’t learn anything that I didn’t already know.

I was wrong.