We’re already seeing record lines at food banks across the country[0], and some are already warning of food shortages. We’re already seeing the negative effects, our society just doesn’t want to pay attention to what’s happening to the poor.
We’re at serious risk for community starvation not seen since the Great Depression.
Have you seen the images of food bank lines in the last two months[0]? The problem with quantifying demand is that’s typically based on ability to pay, and we’re currently looking at what, 20% unemployment?
Millions upon millions of Americans are at risk of starvation, and a central goal of an initiative like this is to make food as available as possible so that people don’t starve.
Speaking of meals: US food banks have been reported as having 6 mile long lines and were required by Dept of Agriculture to maintain a 5-6 minute questionnaire (per meal recipient) up until a week ago.
Unemployment rate is underreported because states can't bring applicants onto their rolls fast enough for demand (if the state even accepts the applicant).
Rent payments, Mortgages, credit cards defaults are all growing. Once people exhaust their stopgap measures, the pressure for civil unrest grows quicker.
It won't seriously hurt Americans (we have money, surplus, and net food production), but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist. The point isn't that this is a catastrophic amount of chicken right here, but that it's indicative of a general degradation of supply chains that will predominantly hurt the global poor, and lives will definitely be lost.
I'm appalled that we have come to the point where we need food banks for people here in the UK - they were practically unheard of before 2008 and the subsequent "austerity".
If food prices increase, and people lose jobs, more people will suffer food insecurity. This problem is MUCH worse in poorer countries for obvious reasons.
We have food banks in the US. Many are under heavy stress right now from what I understand. At least one food bank near me has already expressed needs for donations through local media sources.
Most high income nations have been overproduce food via subsidies for decades. For most countries, food security is part of national security. The obesity crisis is a side effect of that:
I think there's enough slack in the system we won't see food shortage. The lines at food banks are a different problem entirely. That's because people don't have jobs, and are afraid to spend what they do have in savings and unemployment.
The graphic in the article is telling. While the coronavirus is shocking in the severity with which the lack of response has impoverished people, it is only a 1.5x worsening of the situation! This tells a story of longstanding institutional neglect that allows millions to remain in a state of impoverishment indefinitely.
Moreover, the chart shows that food distribution was growing prior to the pandemic, which could mean the problem was worsening (or more locations appeared, or more food was distributed per capita).
"I actually do think that some people may starve."
Yes, that's been happening for a long time in the US; as you said, 5% of your state (and many others) suffer from food insecurity. The rates are going up now, I'm sure.
'I asked my grandmother what her thoughts about the current financial situation, remember, she survived the great depression and she said, "I haven't seen anything like this."'
I would like very much to hear what your grandmother has to say in more detail.
> We are so far away from starving or running out of water that it's hilarious.
Let me guess, you live a sheltered life in a 1st world country (like most on HN). Others are not so lucky.
"The Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that we entered 2022 with 828 million hungry people. This number represents an increase of approximately 150 million hungry people since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic." [1]
No one is starving in America? It's people with your callous ignorance that are allowing things to get so awful, I take it you have no idea what is going with the food pantries in your city.
But we know we're creating more artificial problems for ourselves!
There was no actual food supply issue. But people have panicked due to unchecked bad information and now we do have a real food supply issue, at the very worst time to have one!
Maybe if someone had said to people 'hang on that's not quite right there's plenty of food being supplied' we'd have one less problem.
Easy to say when you don't seriously have to face your children becoming homeless. While it certainly isn't as dramatic as a pandemic, there are severe human consequences of completely shutting down the economy. I'm sure I don't need to repeat the stats that showcase how close to the edge much of America lives - 40 million Americans don't consistently have access to enough food[1]. 1 in 6 children don't have access to enough food (which has massive effects on development and long-term health). 22 million children rely on school lunches as their primary source of nutrition[2]. Food insecurity is directly correlated with higher rates of diabetes and obesity[3]. Half of America has a negative net worth. Unemployment is correlated with alcohol and drug abuse[4].
Pretending that the only disaster we are facing is medical is blinding yourself to the reality that we are trying to navigate our way between twin catastrophes.
With the current lockdowns in place, the other problem of mass starvation is eventually going to crop up, though before that happens it will be crowds with pitch forks and torches.
We’re at serious risk for community starvation not seen since the Great Depression.
0: https://www.motherjones.com/food/2020/04/these-photos-show-t...
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