Feeding America

17 percent of US children under 5 may face hunger
By MARY CLARE JALONICK – 3 days ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — An estimated 3.5 million children younger than 5 are at risk of hunger in the United States, according to government numbers provided by an anti-hunger group.

That's more than 17 percent of children who could suffer cognitive and developmental damage if they are not properly fed.

The not-for-profit advocacy group Feeding America based its findings on 2005-2007 data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Agriculture Department. The study, released Thursday, is the first to look at these numbers for children under the age of 5, according to the group. Feeding America runs food banks and feeding centers around the country.

The study also shows that in 11 states, more than 20 percent of children under 5 are at risk of going hungry. Louisiana has the highest rate, with just under a quarter of children at risk, followed by North Carolina, Ohio, Kentucky, Texas, New Mexico, Kansas, South Carolina, Tennessee, Idaho and Arkansas.

According to the Agriculture Department, 11 percent of households lacked enough food for an active, healthy life before the economy worsened late last year. Read More

For most of us, it’s hard to imagine not having the resources to feed ourselves. But for many young children, lack of food is a reality. While the cause of hunger today isn’t due to a lack of food, the growing world population will change that if agriculture isn’t allowed to continue pursuing and utilizing technological advances in food production. It will be an incredible disservice to our future generations if we decide for them that we aren’t willing to invest in agriculture. In the meantime, supporting worthwhile causes like Feeding America will help alleviate hunger today.