Author’s Blurb: Tom Huang, a Junior at Blue Mountain Union School, studying leading issues that people face every day. I am a part of my Blue Mountain Unoin’s Student Council, National Honors Society, and Athlete Leadership Council.  

Increased Food Prices Affect Those Who Barely Make a Living.

According to a  survey conducted by The Conference Board, a non-profit organization that studies economic and business management, when asked about the inflated cost of food, companies shared that” 74% faced pressures to increase prices for materials, 66% blamed the supply chain, and 50% said the shortage of workers caused the inflation of food prices. But, when speaking about how to respond to rising food prices, most companies (56%) stated that increasing prices was their first choice. Only 36% of the companies stated they would try to absorb price increases into profit margins.

Government action is key to decreasing food prices and food insecurity in the U.S. Despite the government’s inability to control food prices, they CAN create relief and flexibility for the food industry to better counter high inflation rates.

Other solutions for this problem include expanded SNAP benefits. As food prices continue to rise, more support for the SNAP program is needed to support those experiencing poverty, as 21% of U.S. countries reported the SNAP benefits did not cover food expenses –  even with the increase in financial pandemic benefits. 

The inflation of food prices during the pandemic showed the necessary impact of charitable food services. Most organizations addressing food insecurity reported that they saw a 60% increase in Americans needing food assistance. As a shocking 53 million people rely on food banks every year, local governments should support food banks by providing financial benefits and supporting expansion into low-access areas such as rural and inner-city communities.

We must raise our voices to our local governments, asking them to help combat food insecurity. 44 million Americans go hungry every day. With your support by helping charitable food services and demanding that our government fight against food inflation, we can ensure that no American goes hungry.