Widespread homelessness, dangerously high unemployment, rampant bread lines: the disastrous consequences of the 1930’s Great Depression sound foreboding, but they are not so different from conditions in many parts of the United States today. Ever present in its foreboding relics are photographs of starving children and the angst of proletarian poetry. While we may think of the socioeconomic conditions of the Depression-era United States as lessons of the past, for millions of Americans, it is a lived reality. Exacerbated by the economic downturn brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, food insecurity has become even more pervasive in recent months, affecting 1 in 9 Americans, around 13.7 million households.

Food insecurity arises when a household is consistently unable to provide enough nutritious and affordable food for every person to live an active, healthy life. Unlike the issue of hunger, food insecurity refers to the inequality in the food system; and the socioeconomic determinants of this problem are complex and intersecting. Factors that contribute to a person’s vulnerability can include low wages, lack of access to transportation, and expensive medical bills. Furthermore, food insecure individuals endure a significant deficit in economic opportunity because the lack of available resources for food hinders their ability to manage other necessities to live. To achieve an effective and sustainable solution to food insecurity, we must evaluate the situation from a systematic level, one in which addresses the wide-ranging identities of the communities affected. 

One of the most impacted regions in the country is its capital, Washington, D.C. The Greater Washington region has so far accounted for 415,000 cases of food insecurity even before the pandemic. Now, the number of food insecure individuals is projected to increase by 200,000 to 250,000 cases, moving the District from a food insecurity rate of 10.6 to 16 percent in just one month. The alarming proliferation of food insecurity in the area is a symptom of economic hardship and closely related social inequity, compounded by the consequences of COVID-19. 

Despite high rates of food insecurity, the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area is consistently ranked as one of the more “well-off” regions in one of the richest countries in the world. Even so, the city itself has one of the highest rates of poverty in the country. This is especially clear along racial lines. Black communities experience poverty at a rate four times higher than white communities in the District. Moreover, D.C. is one of the few cities in the United States that experiences highest rates of gentrification and displacement of low-income populations. Data show that mostly low-income and Black individuals are forced to move away from “economic hotspots'' to neighborhoods, like Ward 7 and Ward 8. These two neighborhoods have the lowest median household incomes in the city and the least number of full-service grocery stores. Formally known as a food desert, this lack of proximity to healthy and affordable food outlets is called a food apartheid. The term “food apartheid” highlights the social inequalities of the whole food supply chain within a community, accounting for race, class, and geoography rather than framing this gap as a natural occurrence. Ward 7 and Ward 8 account for three-quarters of the food apartheids in D.C. Latine and Black households are four and 13.5 times more likely to experience food insecurity compared to white households, which is a testament to the longstanding economic and racial inequality that plagues the city. 

Now, food banks, food pantries, and nonprofits are gearing up for the reaiming winter months as the number of individuals seeking assistance is growing exponentially during this time of crisis. Organizations like D.C. Central Kitchen, Bread for City, and Martha’s Table are expected to be serving thousands more residents as the socioeconomic gap widens in D.C. George A. Jones, the CEO of Bread for City states that this widening disparity is entrenched in systemic racism. Largely, the limited food supply of the city is not adequately distributed to communities of color. Systemic racism has historically made communities of color vulnerable to this deficit in access while prioritizing whiteness. Understanding the intersectionality of race and food insecurity will allow for a more structural and permanent solution. 

What does an equitable solution look like for D.C.? The Capital Area Food Bank outlined an impressive phased recovery plan for their organization that is rooted in a deep understanding of the cultural, racial, and economic divides in D.C. The three phases are responding to the immediate crisis through targeted distribution of resources, recovering their distribution network by adapting to the fundamental challenges of the pandemic, and rebuilding the regional economy with greater equity through policy and programming. The plan reflects the multifaceted and intersectional approaches to achieving food justice that looks towards the gaps created by policies which have radically faltered historically vulnerable demographics. COVID-19 has further pronounced the longstanding inequalities that hinder the economic opportunity and well-being of D.C. residents. This kind of committed action is essential to provide better access to food for all citizens. A macro-level issue of this magnitude must be met with proportional solutions and equitable policies to ensure the livelihoods of all persons in D.C. More importantly, the work done by organizations like the Capital Area Food Bank serves as a reminder that our country’s governing bodies must take a long overdue structural reorientation to serve the communities that they have continuously failed.