Food Insecurity & Sustainability

Food insecurity is the lack of consistent access to enough quality food for individuals to live a healthy life.  According to the USDA, in 2021 33.8 million people lived in food-insecure households and 5 million children lived in food insecure households.  Food insecurity is currently an issue facing the world, but it is projected that climate change will diminish any efforts towards global food security. This will result in continued production disruptions, availability limitations, a decrease in food safety, and massive crop loss. (Brown et. al 2015) Other determinates of food insecurity include widescale low wages, lack of affordable housing, systematic racism harming marginalized groups, and healthcare costs especially those with chronic illness. 

How is the Library Tackling Food Insecurity?

On campus, the Office of Care and Civility operates two student food pantries, one located in the Student Services Center room 180 and the other located in the Library in room 450. This is an anonymous and free service that receives fresh produce donations from the HSC community garden. The Library's pantry includes nonperishable food items and is open 24/7 to students.

Through community engagements efforts, Lewis Library also founded the grant funded project: Sprouting Change: You, Food, and the Environment. This project addresses food insecurity and nutritional literacy while discussing key components of living a sustainable life. This is a joint initiative with Gibson D. Lewis Library and the Office of Sustainability at the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth. The goal is to support community members, especially those in areas without access to affordable fresh fruit and vegetables in North Texas. Project participants build the capacity to make informed nutritional choices that support sustainable practice and are given sprouting kits to grow fresh, nutritious food in almost every living situation.