Who Deserves to Eat Well? An Analysis of Equality and Efficiency in U.S. Food Assistance Policy. Issue 5 (18th September 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Shimizu, Rei
• Is Part Of: Journal of poverty. Volume 24:Issue 5/6(2020)
• Page Start: 451
• Page End: 472
• Publication Date: 2020-09-18
• Subjects: Social welfare -- nutrition -- food insecurity -- dietary disparities -- working poor; Poverty -- United States -- Periodicals; Poor -- United States -- Periodicals; Public welfare -- United States -- Periodicals; 362.05
• DOI: 10.1080/10875549.2020.1731046
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1087-5549

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Many U.S. residents employed full-time experience food insecurity without access to safety nets. U.S. food assistance policies define equality and efficiency based on neo-liberal free market assumptions of benefit maximization. However, assistance based on these assumptions segregates the deserving populace by socioeconomic status, creates dietary disparities, and imposes an unfair burden on low-income populations to maximize nutritional cost-benefit. Private and public sector solutions that (1) recognize food security as a form of social inclusion and (2) operationalize food as a universal right are recommended, while recognizing their limitations, to redefine equality and efficiency in U.S. food assistance.