As climate change threatens the global food supply, how countries feed themselves has become increasingly complex in the past century. This is especially true in America where there has been a dramatic decline in the American agricultural labor force, the disappearance of farms, and an increased reliance on imported goods.
From 1950–1990, America saw a 74% drop in the number of family and self-employed farm labor, and between 2007 and 2012 the United States lost more than 90,000 farms. Today more than 50% of America’s fruit is imported, and about a third of the vegetables in the supermarket are from another country.
This is a time when food insecurity exists simultaneously with an obesity crisis, with only 12% of American adults meeting the daily recommended fruit intake and even less meeting the daily recommended vegetable intake. When you look at the national averages, this shouldn’t be the case: There are 2.7 farmers markets per 100,000 residents, 41.8% of school districts participate in farm-to-school programs, and 44.8% of middle and high schools offer salad bars.
On top of that, there are 234 local food policy councils that help make sure state and local food systems are working, and they often work to increase access to nutritious foods like fruits and vegetables. There are also 212 food hubs that actively manage the entire consumer chain of locally and regionally grown food. In short, food hubs make it easier to access locally grown produce.
While the United States is producing more food than ever before, the problem is many communities don’t have access to healthy food, especially fresh fruits and vegetables. This is concerning because research has shown that poor diet is one of the leading risk factors for disability and death.
To explore how access to fresh produce varies from state to state, Stacker consulted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) 2018 State Indicator Report on Fruits and Vegetables, which includes the most recent statistics available. The report pulls together data from various country-wide government surveys: the numbers of farmers markets per 100,000 residents are up to date as of 2017; the percentages of school districts participating in farm-to-school programs are accurate as of 2014; the percentages of middle and high schools offering salad bars are from 2016; the numbers of local food policy councils are from 2018, and the numbers of food hubs are up to date as of 2017.