VOA标准英语2009-More Americans Than Ever Experiencing Food I

By Steve Baragona
Washington
18 November 2009

With world leaders meeting in Rome to discuss ways to tackle¹ global hunger, a new report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture finds more Americans than ever before are experiencing food insecurity.

The USDA report estimates that 49 million Americans had trouble getting enough to eat in 2008. That's the largest figure since the annual survey of food security began in 1995. It represents nearly one in seven U.S. households, and it's a sharp increase from 2007, before the global recession² began, when about one in 10 households were food-insecure.

 
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack (undated photo)
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack described the report as a wake-up call.

"I think this report suggests that it is time for America to get very serious about food security and hunger, about nutrition, and about food safety," said Secretary Vilsack.

The figures come from a representative sample of about 44,000 U.S. households. Participants were asked questions about their access to adequate food. Of those who had difficulty affording enough food, one-third of them - or nearly 7 million households - had to cut back on meals because of it. Many of the others turned to federal programs or local food banks to make up the difference.

But the increased demand is putting strain on food banks across the country. For example, Shamia Holloway is a spokeswoman for the Capital Area Food Bank, which serves more than 700 organizations around Washington, DC. Holloway says demand is up by 30 to 100 percent.

 
Capital Area Foodbank
"They're seeing longer lines," said Shamia Holloway. "They're not turning people away, but they are giving away fewer food items to accommodate³ the increase in requests for food."

The survey found African Americans, Latinos, and single-parent families were most likely to have trouble getting enough food. But Holloway and others say one of the most striking⁴ trends is the change in who is seeking help.

"First-time visitors are coming seeking food assistance," she said. "Middle-class individuals who would never think they would have to come the food bank are now coming to us for food. And I've even heard of a case of a former donor⁵ who used to support the food bank is now coming to us for food assistance."

David Beckmann, president of the anti-hunger organization Bread for the World, says while the recession is driving the increase in hunger in the United States, the problem is growing worldwide.

"We've had a huge setback⁶ in the world's progress against hunger and poverty, driven by high food prices in developing countries, also by the global recession," said David Beckmann. "So, it's a global event."

And things may get worse before they get better. U.S. unemployment has now topped 10 percent, the highest level in two decades, notes Paula Thornton Greear with the hunger-relief charity Feeding America.

"The numbers from the USDA report were extremely alarming," said Paula Thornton Greear. "But the numbers reflect 2008. So, as we know, we've been continuing as a country to go through this recession through 2009. So, we are even more alarmed by the fact that, once we look back at the 2009 numbers, they may be even higher."

Even with the economy turning around, experts say record levels of food insecurity in the United States will likely continue until unemployment begins to decline⁷.

1 tackle   

n.工具，复滑车，扭倒；v.处理，抓住

参考例句：

• Don't forget to bring your sports tackle with you tomorrow.别忘了明天带上你的体育用具。
• We have gained sufficient experience to tackle this problem.我们已经有了足够的经验来处理这个问题。

2 recession   

n.（工商业的）衷退（期），萧条（期）

参考例句：

• Manufacturing fell sharply under the impact of the recession.受到经济萧条的影响，制造业急剧衰退。
• A rise in interest rates plunged Britain deeper into recession.利率的提高导致英国经济更加萧条。

3 accommodate   

vt.容纳，向...提供住处，使适应，顺应

参考例句：

• You should soon accommodate yourself to the new circumstance.你应尽快适应新环境。
• Are there enough shelves to accommodate all our books?有足够的书架容纳我们所有的书吗？

4 striking   

adj.显著的，惹人注目的，容貌出众的

参考例句：

• There is a striking difference between Jane and Mary.简和玛丽之间有显著的差异。
• What is immediately striking is how resourceful the children are.最令人注目的是孩子们的机智聪明。

5 donor   

n.捐献者；赠送人；(组织、器官等的)供体

参考例句：

• In these cases,the recipient usually takes care of the donor afterwards.在这类情况下，接受捐献者以后通常会照顾捐赠者。
• The Doctor transplanted the donor's heart to Mike's chest cavity.医生将捐赠者的心脏移植进麦克的胸腔。

6 setback   

n.退步，挫折，挫败

参考例句：

• Since that time there has never been any setback in his career.从那时起他在事业上一直没有遇到周折。
• She views every minor setback as a disaster.她把每个较小的挫折都看成重大灾难。

7 decline   

n.衰微，跌落，下降；vt.使降低，婉谢；vi.下降，衰落，偏斜

参考例句：

• I must decline to show favour to any of the candidates.我必须拒绝偏袒任何一位候选人。
• The birthrate is on the decline.出生率在下降。