TABLE 2.
Domain of Responsibility | Respect | Protect | Facilitate | Provide |
Definition | Noninterference | Protect people from others doing harm | Develop policy environment that enables economic and food security | When fulfillment of other obligations have failed, or in circumstances beyond people's control—i.e., emergency situations, vulnerable children, the destitute |
Individual: protect against individual vulnerability | Do not deny qualifying citizens and legal immigrants access to nutrition assistance. | Ensure all public assistance staff are properly trained about all programs. | Increase minimum wage. | For very low-income children, grant free school breakfasts and lunches, and meals during the summer months.a |
Promote access of all children to quality education, health care, and housing. Consider “comprehensive eligibility.” For instance, if a mother is eligible for WIC, then she could be entitled to other assistance programs without having to apply for each program separately. | ||||
Reduce vulnerability by ensuring access to all supports available. | ||||
Do not deny food assistance to felons who have served their prison term. | ||||
Ensure that food quality is monitored and considered just as important as accessibility. | ||||
Household: ensure supportive environment for families, especially women and children | Do not enforce a “family cap” limit on number of childrenwhen calculating food stamp allotment amounts.b | Protect against predatory lenders. | Consider comprehensive eligibility (i.e., if a child qualifies for health insurance through Medicaid, the family should automatically qualify for food stamps). | Provide nutritious food or adequate food stamps on a temporary basis to families who experience personal emergency, ie, household fire or broad-scale natural disaster.a |
Improve targeting for nutrition programs so those eligible receive them.a | ||||
Promote job training and job placement services.a | ||||
Community: protect against community vulnerability | Do not change food insecurity definitions without public debate and participation. | Investigate or revise zoning laws that ensure nutritious food retail options. | Provide tax breaks for supermarkets and food retailers to locate in low-income neighborhoods. | Directly provide opportunities to purchase nutritious foods in communities that otherwise have limited access to nutritious foods. |
Reassess measures of poverty to account for housing and child care costs. | Legislate for safe neighborhoods (safe housing, places for exercise and play, generous lighting). | Have rapid, organized, and sustained response in disaster situations.a | ||
Establish national monitoring or leadership role on nutrition. | ||||
Fund research in food insecurity interventions. | ||||
Hold agencies accountable for actively addressing disparities in food insecurity. | ||||
Provide meaningful venues for participation in dialogue, policies, and programs regarding food security and right to food. |
Notes. WIC = Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children. Not a comprehensive list. For related strategies, see US Action Plan on Food Security: Solutions to Hunger.85
The US Government is already engaged in these approaches.
Some states do not enforce the family cap.