Tonight, on The Real Issue, we will pick up where we left off two weeks ago. In other words, PAMM LARRY returns!! Two weeks ago, we scratched the surface on the issue of food and food insecurity, and how we plan ahead.
With climate change, not to mention a global pandemic, the food supply chains have been deeply disrupted, making food security not only a household concern, but a growing national concern, with some nations preparing for it, and others, not so much.
For example, with climate change, Brazil and Argentina are experiences a drought, and therefore they are limited in their soybean production. At the same time, China is concerned about its ability to feed its 1.4 billion people, and has begun buying soybeans from US growers, and stockpiling them. As a result of the depletion of soybeans in the US, we are seeing record levels of imports of soybeans…and at much higher prices. To be clear, China is preparing for food insecurity, and the US is not.
Now, to turn these esoteric sounding facts into real lives, the US Department of Agriculture estimates that 1 in 4 American children will be food insecure this year, meaning that 1 in 4 children live in a state of being without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable and nutritious food. Before the pandemic, the estimate was 1 in 5 children, so not much better.
Here in Butte County, the largest industry is agriculture, so you might think that we are food secure here. But, you would be wrong. According to the Community Action Agency of Butte County,
· 39,960 (18.03%) of Butte County residents and 27.25% (more than 1 in 4) of all children in the County experienced food insecurity at some point during the last year.
· Also in Butte County, 18,535 (59.7%) of public school students in Butte County are eligible for free/reduced school meals according to the National Center for Education and Statistics.
· 1 in 5 Northern California residents struggle with hunger related issues and the majority of these households have at least one adult that works full-time.
So, we spend the entire hour with Pamm Larry, talking about food, the problems, the unpredictability in the future… but also the solutions.
Pamm Larry is the founder and driving force behind the Butte County Local Food Network. According to their website, the vision of the Butte County Local Food Network is: to create a strong local food system as the basis of a strong local economy, anchored in a healthy community that thrives on neighbors helping neighbors.
