A new study showing that one in four active-duty members of the military are food insecure is “an eye-opening reminder of the challenges” faced by military families, according to a statement from the Agriculture Department.
A person is considered food insecure by USDA if they had difficulty during the previous 12 months getting enough food for themselves or family members due to “a lack of economic and other resources.” A person has “very low” food security if he or she experiences disruptions in eating patterns or reduced food intake.
The study by USDA’s Economic Research Service found that 25.3% of active-duty members of the military were food insecure and 10.5% had very low food security in 2018 and 2020, the years covered by the study. Some 10% of civilian adults are considered food insecure, while 3.6% have very low food security, according to USDA.
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“Just as they make tremendous sacrifices each day to keep us safe, so too should we protect our military families from the challenge of food insecurity," the USDA statement says. "Through its programs like WIC, SNAP, the National School Lunch Program, and others that provide meals and nutritional support for millions of families each day, USDA is committed to improving food and nutrition security for all families, including our courageous men and women in uniform and their families."
Salaam Bhatti, SNAP director for the Food Research and Action Center, an anti-hunger advocacy group, said many needy military families are missing out on federal nutrition assistance.
“While SNAP is our nation’s first line of defense against hunger, far too many of our nation's defenders are going hungry due to various reasons, including how SNAP treats the basic housing allowance as unearned income, which pushes too many military families over the SNAP eligibility threshold,” he said.
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