ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on United States (US) poverty as the context for hunger and food insecurity; and reviews the history and explains the methodology of food insecurity and hunger measurement. It explores the adequacy of the federal government's Thrifty Food Plan (TFP), which defines an adequate food bundle for federal policy purposes. The chapter describes the history, structure and effectiveness of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); and describes the charitable emergency food system, including food banks, food pantries and meals programs. In the United States, SNAP and other food assistance programs seek to promote food security and reduce the prevalence of hunger. Food insecurity is closely related to poverty. The maximum SNAP benefit amount is related to the cost of the TFP, a model spending plan appropriate for people on a tight budget. A SNAP challenge is a short-term discipline—perhaps one week or one month long—living on the food budget that would be available to a low-income American.
