The December C-FARE webinar focuses on the complexities of the inflationary period the U.S. is facing.  Matthew MacLachlan, Michael Adjemian, and David Ortega will present an overview of their work on inflation as it relates to agriculture, food, and natural resources.  Then C-FARE board member Jane Kolodinsky will pose several questions to the panel and each will have the opportunity to provide their insights into the complexity of inflation in 2022 and into the new year. 

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Food insecurity implies difficulty getting enough food at some time during the year. The causes are multifactorial and often include poverty, unemployment, low income, lack of affordable housing, chronic health conditions or lack of access to healthcare, and systemic racism and racial discrimination. Before and during the pandemic, food insecurity in the United States (US) has been disproportionately higher among low-income and rural populations and communities of color. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and associated economic ramifications, in 2021, food insecurity initially jumped to the highest level in decades, affecting over 20% of Americans -- approximately 1 in 4 households. According to a 2021 USDA Economic Research Service report, 10.2 percent or 13.5 million American households are food insecure. In addition, more than half (about 56 percent) of food-insecure households reported that in the previous month, they participated in one or more of the three most extensive Federal nutrition assistance programs: the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC); or the National School Lunch Program. 

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Agriculture provides food for humans, fiber, and livelihoods for billions of people worldwide and is a critical resource for sustainable development in many regions. Regardless, agriculture also provides many ecosystem services and opportunities for climate change mitigation and removal of greenhouse gases (GHG).

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To effectively leverage their assets for long-term, shared prosperity, rural communities need robust local capacity that has strong connections at the regional, state, and federal levels. Some rural communities have this strong, connected local capacity while others do not. Unfortunately, the historically challenged rural communities that most need these critical capacities and connections to alter their future trajectories are the least likely to have them.

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