Food And Nutrition

As Deputy Under Secretaries, it’s not every day that we get to don aprons and make chicken enchiladas as part of our work. But during a visit to Tyler Elementary School in Virginia’s Prince William County to celebrate National Nutrition Month, that’s exactly what we did!

USDA has always worked to ensure all Americans have adequate access to food. Now, the time has come for deeper conversation about nutrition security – the consistent access to safe, healthy, affordable food essential to optimal health and well-being, regardless of race, ethnicity, or background. Nutrition security efforts work together with promoting food security, ensuring that everyone not only has enough to eat, and that those calories contribute to their overall health.

USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) honors those who champion racial justice, equality, and equity in the fight to end hunger. This Black History Month, we’re recognizing the late U.S. Representative Mickey Leland.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently welcomed seven new U.S. Food Loss and Waste 2030 Champions, food industry leaders that have committed to reducing food loss and waste in their U.S. operations by 50 percent by 2030.

Food loss and waste is estimated to be roughly one third of the food intended for human consumption in the United States. When food is discarded, all inputs used in producing, processing, transporting, preparing, and storing discarded food are also wasted. Food loss and waste also exacerbates the climate change crisis with its significant greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint. Production, transportation, and handling of food generate significant Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions and when food ends up in landfills, it generates methane, an even more potent greenhouse gas.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact everyone, many Americans grapple with food insecurity. This past year, in fact, over 29 million adults and 12 million children struggled to afford food, while more than 1 in 5 Black and Latino adults and children reported food insecurity.

USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service is committed to providing equitable access to food to all Americans, but racial disparities in food security still exist. With the rate of food and nutrition insecurity higher among Black, Hispanic, and Native American populations, the data bears this out.

It’s no secret that supply chain issues experienced across the country have created challenges with food accessibility. Rising COVID-19 cases along with severe weather complicated the flow of goods and services, yet USDA programs have responded with creative solutions to ensure Americans had access to healthy foods.

Happy New Year! What are your health goals for 2022? Whether you want to accomplish a fitness goal or focus on healthy eating, nutrition and exercise are key to meeting your goals. Discover tips to help you make healthy choices that fit with your lifestyle, personal needs and preferences.

Supporting families is the foundation of our mission here at USDA. So, before we close 2021, I’d like to look back at one of our programs that continues to do just that: the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, commonly known as WIC.