15.3 Food Security and Insecurity

Food security is having consistent and reliable “physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life” (Committee on World Food Security, 2012, p. 4). Food insecurity “exists whenever the availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods or the ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways is limited or uncertain” (Andersen, 1990, p. 1575). Prevalence of food insecurity varies across colleges and universities, with recent studies finding rates ranging from 20% to around 60% on some campuses, with an average of about 44% of college students experiencing food insecurity (Nazmi et al., 2019; Nikolaus et al., 2020) compared to about 11% of American households overall (U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service, 2020). Food pantries and food banks—some of which might be on-campus—can provide emergency and temporary assistance for students in need, but these short-term solutions don’t necessarily provide the stability needed to eliminate food insecurity.

Food insecurity can be chronic, temporary, or cyclical; for example, food insecurity may follow a seasonal trend based on changes to income cycles, such as job loss or financial aid being deposited, life events, like losing a job or medical issues, or changes in living arrangements. What precipitates food insecurity is complex; this could involve any or all of the following factors:

• unstable or non-existent financial resources
• geographical barriers
• access to reliable transportation
• housing insecurity
• state and federal laws and policies around food and income assistance programs, or
• the make-up and needs of one’s family.

Food insecurity is not addressed simply by spending less on other things or through budgeting. For those experiencing food insecurity, gaining access to adequate amounts of food is the primary focus; the nutritional value or quality of those foods is often a secondary focus. If or when food security stabilizes, the nutritional value of the foods being purchased may become a higher priority.

Identifying Characteristics of Food Insecurity

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has developed a survey widely used to assess food security or insecurity across populations (2018). According to the USDA, individuals answering yes to any of the following questions are considered to be experiencing some level of food insecurity (U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service, 2018):

In the past year:

• I worried whether my food would run out before I got money to buy more.
• The food that I bought just didn’t last, and I didn’t have money to get more.
• I couldn’t afford to eat balanced meals.
• I have cut the size of my meals because I didn’t have enough money for food.
• I have eaten less than I needed because I didn’t have enough money for food.
• I have been hungry but didn’t eat, because I didn’t have enough food.
• I have cut the size of my meals or not eaten at all because I didn’t have enough money to feed my entire family.
• I lost weight because there wasn’t enough food.
• I have not eaten for a whole day because there wasn’t enough money for food.

Food Assistance Programs

For people who lack reliable access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food that meets dietary needs and food preferences, assistance is available. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program—or SNAP, formerly referred to as food stamps, has eligibility requirements that vary slightly from state to state. In general, SNAP takes into account income, employment or academic enrollment, and citizenship status. Applicants can apply for state-specific SNAP programs and some states offer outreach specialists who can provide assistance with the application.

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children—or WIC—provides assistance to low-income pregnant women, new mothers, and infants and children up to five years old who are at nutritional risk, as defined by the program’s requirements.

While some food assistance programs like SNAP and WIC have income requirements or other criteria applicants must meet, many other resources provide assistance without such requirements—often no questions asked. We encourage you to check local food shelves and campus resources to see what might be available to you.