Tackling food insecurity in uncertain times

Food insecurity is often a topic of discussion in agriculture, but often within the frame of how will the industry feed a growing population. But the sad reality is that food insecurity is a challenge right here at home, and a large percentage of the funding promulgated in the Farm Bill is dedicated to solving the complex challenge of helping farmers feed their fellow Americans.Lisa Hamler-Fugitt is Executive Director of the Ohio Association of Foodbanks, an organization representing Ohio’s 12 Feeding America foodbanks and their 3,600 member hunger relief programs. Recently inducted into the Ohio Agriculture Hall of Fame, she is an advocate not only for the food insecure, but for farmers and the vital role they play in feeding all of us; she is often heard explaining, “We all have to eat.”Earlier this week her organization hosted a convening on the topic of the Farm Bill, bringing together people from farm organizations, state and federal government, food and hunger organizations, and industry and academia.The broad topic was how the next Farm Bill – the legislation that funds the U.S. Department of Agriculture and its many and diverse programs from commodities and conservation to nutrition and rural development – will shape the scope and nature of food insecurity in this country over the next 5 to 10 years. Feedstuffs broadcast editor Andy Vance moderated a panel at the event on tackling food insecurity in uncertain times, and spoke with Hamler-Fugitt about her unique perspective on the Farm Bill, and her concerns for the often tenuous coalition it takes to pass such a massive piece of legislation in a hyper-partisan environment.This episode is sponsored by United Animal Health, a leader in animal health and nutrition. You can learn more about United Animal Health and how they are working to advance animal science worldwide by visiting their website UnitedANH.com.