All You Can Eat: How Hungry is America?

While the current economic crash has inspired numerous Jim Cramer Mad Money freak-outs and fears of another Depression, at least we haven’t reached the point where soup kitchens and apple sellers line the streets. But according to Joel Berg, executive director of the New York City Coalition Against Hunger, the U.S. is experiencing a serious hunger problem. In his new book All You Can Eat: How Hungry is America?, the former Clinton administration official takes our luxury-addled culture to task, arguing that despite past political indifference and gridlock, America can solve the hunger situation that affects millions.

How can a country as rich as ours allow so many to starve? It’s a somber question that sets the stage for Berg’s book, but his answer is far from bleeding heart bromide. He outlines in detail how the long-standing cultural belief in self-reliance and past political developments led to our country’s hunger-relief policies, which he calls a “functioning, albeit imperfect, safety net” riddled with holes. The path leads from Depression- and Great Society-era programs to welfare reform and some of the more parodied conservative “responses” to the problem (classifying ketchup as a vegetable, using the term "very low food security" to describe the hungry in official documents). While Berg wears his biases on his sleeve, he also points out the failings of liberal politicians (patronizing towards the poor, discounting personal responsibility), the media’s scattershot coverage and charitable organizations too inefficient and small to solve the problem. He notes that centralized distribution of resources via the food stamp program is more efficient than the parallel system of charitable distribution, which involves more layers of transportation and some government funding. And he clearly links hunger to poverty, advocating a more comprehensive response that includes job development and higher wages.

Berg can be a bit of a policy wonk, but his well-considered proposals and optimism are refreshing. America just elected a president with more than passing familiarity with food stamps and poor communities. Here’s hoping he can address the issue with Berg’s balance of rationality and passion.