An editorial from The Herald-Dispatch
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Hunger in the United States pales in comparison to some third world countries but not to other “rich” nations.
More than 20 percent of American households report that at some time in the last 12 months, they lacked the resources for food. While the figure is almost twice that level in Mexico and Turkey, it is much lower in most European countries, including less than 10 percent in the United Kingdom and less than 5 percent in Germany and Japan, according to world research by Gallup and the Pew Foundation.
One of our nation’s biggest responses to American hunger is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which is today’s version of food stamps, operated by states through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The SNAP program almost doubled in size in the wake of the recent recession, and today serves about 45 million Americans.
While statistics show there is a great need for the program, there are ongoing concerns about abuse and also the type of food available through the program…
