UNITED STATES

A new interactive map shows the percentage of food-insecure residents in every county and congressional district in the United States. (The Plate, Nat Geo)

Use our resources to better understand the “Paradox of Undernourishment.”

Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources, including a link to the “Map the Meal Gap” and today’s MapMaker Interactive map of undernourishment around the world.

Discussion Ideas

• The Nat Geo blog post addresses the 49 million Americans who “find themselves in the position of being food insecure.” What is food security?
  • Food security describes the access a person, family, or community has to healthy foods.
  • According to the World Health Organization, food security is built on three pillars:
    • food availability—having sufficient quantities of food available on a consistent basis.
    • food access—having sufficient resources to obtain appropriate foods for a nutritious diet.
    • food use—ability to use foods based on knowledge of basic nutrition and health care, as well as adequate water and sanitation.

• How is food insecurity different from hunger or undernourishment? Read through our great article on the “Paradox of Undernourishment” for some help.
  • Hunger is a physical condition marked by stomach pangs and general fatigue. People all over the world go hungry, even for just a few hours, when they don’t have enough to eat.
  • Undernourishment is a more chronic condition than hunger. Undernourishment affects communities, and even entire countries and regions.
  • Food insecurity encompasses the social and economic dimensions that lead to hunger and undernourishment.

• Take a look at “Map the Meal Gap,” which maps food insecurity rates in dazzling detail. The map has layers displaying information on political or human geography. What are these layers?
  • “Map the Meal Gap” maps food insecurity according to:
    • political boundaries (counties)
    • political boundaries (congressional districts)
    • time (yearly from 2009-2013)
    • demographics (by age—you can map the food insecurity of children as well as the general population)

• How else might you map food insecurity in the U.S.?
  • Answers might include climate, a county’s average income level, or agricultural output. Consult layers in today’s MapMaker Interactive for some other ideas. (Note: Not all factors that may correlate to global food insecurity necessarily impact food insecurity in the United States.)
  • Feeding America, the organization that put the map together, has programs that focus on food insecurity among different demographics. These could all be mapped:
    • rural, suburban, and urban populations
    • senior citizens
    • African American populations
    • Latino populations

• Use the data from Feeding America to find levels of food insecurity in your county. What can you do to help address hunger and food insecurity in your community?
  • Donating and volunteering to a local food bank is a great way to start. Feeding America has a great resource to help you find a food bank near you—just enter your ZIP code.

TEACHERS’ TOOLKIT

Nat Geo: While U.S. Economy Improves, Food Insecurity Lingers

Nat Geo: The Paradox of Undernourishment

Nat Geo: Layers of Undernourishment map

WHO: Food Security

Feeding America: Map the Meal Gap

Feeding America: Data by County in Each State

Feeding America: Find Your Local Food Bank