Of those surveyed, their concern isn’t only for themselves: 58 percent of respondents globally are parents, and for those who have experienced food insecurity, 88 percent are worried their child will have lasting health effects as a result of food insecurity during the pandemic. Therefore, 70 percent are worried their child is not getting all the nutrients they need — as a result of not having access to school meals while they are distance learning.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines a food desert as a low-income community in which the nearest supermarket is at least one mile away from a populated zone. This infers that zones deemed “food deserts” would have  limited access to healthy foods without the burden of inherent hardships, such as ownership of car or access to public transportation to reach the nearest supermarket. 

One fiscal argument for augmenting local food networks is to reduce the tremendous costs that fuel and labor add to shipping produce from distant sites, whether in urban areas like Detroit or rural regions of the country such as Alaska. “In some of our isolated villages in Alaska, families are having to choose between the price of heating oil and food,” reported Dave Monture, technical assistance specialist for the Intertribal Agriculture Council. He said the cost of milk in some areas has risen to $20 a gallon. 

The year is off to a strong start in the battle over the presence of genetically modified organisms in our food supply. Commonly known as GMOs, these highly contested phenomena include crop seeds that scientists can modify by inserting genes from different species. Through this type of genetic engineering, also known as biotechnology, scientists can produce disease, drought and herbicide-resistant crops.Despite these benefits, the national debate over genetically modified organisms looms large.