During the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, Wednesday, President Joe Biden revealed a government effort to end hunger in the U.S. by 2030, reports The New York Times.
The plan comes as food prices are rising at record-breaking rates, demand for food banks grow, and many fear recession is on the horizon.
“In every country in the world, in every state in this country, no matter what else divides us, if a parent cannot feed a child, there’s nothing else that matters to that parent,” Biden said.
The plan relies on $8 billion from the private sector, half of which will come from philanthropies keen on expanding healthy food access. Business giants including Google, Tyson Foods, and Walgreens will also contribute to the effort, according to the report.
A timeline was not set on how long some proposals that are bundled into the effort will take, but current events like the war in Ukraine have added urgency, as food prices have become deeply affected by the conflict.
Related to the conference, Kroger announced a commitment to work with the American Heart Association on a “food is medicine” drive. Several other companies also made related commitments. The nonprofit Rethink Food promised to work with restaurants to divert millions of pounds of food to food-insecure communities.
While food insecurity in the U.S. is a problem that isn't as dire as in other countries, the Agricultural Department found in a recent report that 13.5 million households had difficulty providing enough food for their family. Full Story
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