Food Insecurity – A Global Challenge

Your holidays are probably filled with a variety of traditions – special items that have been passed down to you from other family members you put out this time of year; yearly performances and outings; crafts with little ones; and gathering with loved ones.

And, of course, food.

For me, holiday food traditions include cinnamon rolls and egg casseroles on Christmas morning, a large family meal on Christmas Eve, homemade macaroni and cheese on Christmas night, my grandma’s almond roca, caramels from my mom, and green spritz tree-shaped cookies with red sprinkles.

This year, as you begin to think about and prepare for the culinary traditions found in your holiday season, you may be thinking about food prices, as they seem to be ever-rising. 

But thankfully, here in the United States, our communities have a variety of safety nets for folks having a hard time with food security – food banks and government food benefits are available for community members facing food insecurity. 

Not so many places around the world, where multiple causes, such as the effects of the pandemic, climate change, and conflict, deeply impact food security for millions of people.

According to a 2024 UN State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report, around 733 million people went hungry in 2023. This equals one in 11 people globally. And in 2023, over 2 billion people experienced moderate or extreme food insecurity (lack of adequate access to enough healthy and nutritious food). 

And trends aren’t tracking positively – according to a report from the United Nations General Assembly, “The prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity is higher than it was in 2015, with proportionally more women affected than men in every region of the world.” 

While you may have been inconvenienced by the pandemic, or notice a little hotter summer temperatures in your part of the country, or feel enraged by global conflict, chances are you’re not experiencing food insecurity like so many folks around the world because of these global crises. Where you live, you had safety nets during the pandemic, your environment isn’t experiencing the most extreme effects of climate change, and your community is not directly impacted by conflict. 

While food prices are inconveniently higher now, if you live in the United States, you have access to food for your family, even if you tap into community resources to be able to afford it. 

This holiday season, as you participate in your yearly traditions, consider making a new tradition – partnering with One Day’s Wages to help increase food security for our neighbors around the world. 

By partnering with One Day’s Wages, you know that your dollars are going directly to locally-led projects that are effectively addressing food security issues in their communities. 

What could be a more beautiful tradition to add to this joyful and meaningful season?