Introduction

Hi! I am a recent graduate of Carleton College in Northfield, MN who will be spending the next 365 days abroad pursuing an independent exploration on the topic of food insecurity. My funding and support is through the Thomas J. Watson Fellowship for 2019-2020.

What is food insecurity? At its core, it is simply a lack of access to healthy and affordable meals. However, the issue is anything but simple and resides on a spectrum that ranges from limited food access to malnutrition.

In the United States alone, billions of pounds of fresh produce end up in landfills every year while at the same time food insecurity affects millions of Americans. I first became aware of food waste issues while working in commercial kitchens throughout high school. This interest led me to volunteer with the Food Recovery Network during college, which aims to minimize campus food waste while providing food for the immediate community. After four years of work, I began to understand the systems that function to minimize food need. However every community has varying resources, organization, and issues. Though only one state away, my tourism-fueled, sprawling hometown in ranch-land South Dakota would not have been able to support the same food distribution system as found in Northfield. I then began to wonder, “How do different areas of the world deal with this complex issue?” That simple question is what has driven this project forward to where it is today.

Throughout the year I will seek out those who help food insecure communities across the globe. By working with international organizations to local food pantries, I will try to understand how communities care for the health of their people by ensuring that everyone has access to food.

I have learned that food insecurity is present in every single community where it takes on different forms and often remains hidden from the public eye. It is not only “there” but it is also “here.” With this in mind, join me in learning as much as possible about this complex issue!