Hunger is closer to you than you might think. Someone in every community faces food insecurity, possibly even someone you know.
In the fight against hunger, the numbers are staggering. Around the world,
783 million people face hunger. In the United States alone,
44 million people go hungry.
The 9,500 farmer-owners of
Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) know that as producers of nutritious dairy foods, we can play a part in fighting hunger and ensuring families in need have food on the table.
What is food insecurity?
Someone experiencing food insecurity lacks access to enough food for an active, healthy life. Causes can include poverty, unemployment, low wages, lack of affordable housing, chronic health issues and more.
Hunger touches people’s lives indiscriminately. It doesn’t just impact the homeless — hunger affects people from all walks of life. Many families are one bad day away from not being able to put food on the table, whether that’s a loss of employment, an unexpected bill or a health crisis. Yet, the burden of hunger isn't shouldered equally; vulnerable groups, such as children, the elderly and communities of color experience this hardship at disproportionately higher rates.
Children are especially at risk to the effects of food insecurity as their growing bodies need nutrient-dense foods for healthy development. When children go to bed hungry or start their school day without a healthy breakfast, their ability to learn is compromised — because it’s not easy to sleep or learn when you’re hungry.
How dairy farmers are helping fight food insecurity
While hunger is a problem throughout the United States, it’s more common in rural areas.
Since most dairy farms are in rural areas, these family-owned farms play an important role in helping the fight against hunger. Dairy farms provide jobs and stimulate local economies. In fact, for every dollar generated from dairy farming, it turns over
three to seven times in the local community.
Dairy farmers also regularly volunteer and give back to the communities they call home. That support might look like
coordinating a milk donation to their local food pantry, educating the public by hosting tours of their farm or coordinating feeding efforts through their local church.
By producing nutritious food that goes to feed the world, dairy farmers have a far-reaching impact in the fight against hunger. As the global population expands from the current 8 billion people
toward 10 billion people worldwide by 2050, we will need
70% more food (with a base year of 2005). Feeding a growing world requires sustainably and efficiently produced, nutrient-dense food that’s also accessible and affordable. Milk checks all those boxes, and U.S. dairy farmers are at the forefront of this vital mission of food availability.
Dairy offers unmatched nutritional value
Milk and dairy products are highly nutritious and affordable, making them a vital food to help solve the hunger crisis.
At about
24 cents per 8-ounce serving, milk is often more affordable than many other drinks on the market, such as milk alternatives, and packs a significant nutritional punch.
As well, dairy products with a higher-fat content like whole milk and full-fat yogurt are known as foods that suppress hunger because they take longer to digest and keep you full. When money is tight, making foods go as far as possible is key, and the
benefits of dairy include its unmatched nutrition, affordability and capacity to help keep you feeling full and satisfied.
The benefits of dairy to overall health:
- Provides nutrients and minerals for a total body boost. Milk nourishes people of all ages with 13 essential nutrients and high-quality protein. These nutrients are especially important for growing children, who can’t reach their full potential if they’re hungry
- Bolsters the immune system. The nutrients in milk can help keep your immune system in top shape. This is especially important for those experiencing food insecurity. Lack of access to nutritious food can be detrimental to the body’s ability to fight sickness
- Offers nutrients we need and don’t get enough of. Milk and dairy foods provide three of the four nutrients of public health concern: calcium, potassium and vitamin D. These nutrients are considered concerning because the general population doesn’t consume enough of them
How dairy rounds out school meal programs
With 1 in 5 children facing hunger in the United States today, meals at school, including milk, might be a child’s only opportunity for a nutritious meal that day.
Many children rely on school meals as their main source of food throughout the day. Ensuring that these meals are as nutrient dense as possible is critical to fighting hunger when students go home for the night. School meal programs provide milk, cheese and yogurt to students across the nation.
Students who are experiencing poverty, homelessness or food insecurity often qualify for free or reduced-cost meal programs at school. These programs provide free food to help students maintain healthy eating while at school. DFA farmer-owned brands like
TruMoo® and
DairyPure® partner with school districts across the country to provide delicious and nutritious school milk, helping in the fight against hunger while helping power students through their day.
How the dairy community is helping fight food insecurity
While dairy farmers produce healthy, nutrient-dense food for populations around the world, they need help getting it from farm to table, or from farm to food pantry.
Milk is one of the most requested items at donation centers and food pantries, but it is one of the least donated and most challenging to store. Many food pantries are not equipped with enough cold storage to safely store dairy products.
Without cold storage, most food pantries can only offer shelf-stable milk and powdered milk, so being able to pick up a gallon of fresh milk or a package of cheese is a much-needed pick-me-up for many food pantry patrons.
Giving back through our DFA Cares Foundation
At DFA, our
commitment to communities goes beyond producing wholesome dairy products for consumers to enjoy (although we’re proud to do that!) It’s also our responsibility to help those in need and lend a helping hand through donations and volunteer efforts. We do this through our
DFA Cares Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit run by a farmer-leader board of directors.
In 2023 alone, DFA Cares donated $200,000 to food banks and feeding organizations across the nation for these organizations to purchase dairy products, including milk. DFA Cares also provides financial support to buy refrigerators or donations of refrigerators to food banks to help them offer dairy products to those in need year-round. Having reliable, energy-efficient refrigeration not only saves food banks money in electricity bills, but also in repair costs and frees up funds to better serve their patrons.
In addition to funds, food and refrigeration, DFA Cares organizes volunteer opportunities at homeless shelters, mobile food pantries and more. DFA employees are able to connect with their communities and bring
our farmer-owners’ milk to those who need it most. Through initiatives like the DFA Cares Foundation, employees and farmer-owners are making fresh, wholesome dairy products accessible to the most vulnerable communities.
At DFA, we support communities across the nation all year long through DFA Cares but put a focus on food donations in September. The month of September is Hunger Action Month, an annual nationwide campaign where we come together to raise awareness about hunger in America and inspire action to help those who have difficulty accessing affordable nutrition.
How you can take action against hunger
There are many ways you can help the fight against hunger. By getting involved in your community, you can make a significant impact on the lives of those in need. Some ideas include:
- Help food banks keep refrigerators and shelves stocked with dairy with a donation to DFA Cares
- Volunteer at a local food bank. You can even organize a group of friends to volunteer together
- Organize a food drive
- Cultivate a community garden
- Make a monetary donation or food donation to your local food pantry
Together we can help create a world where no one goes to bed hungry. Your support and actions can make a lasting difference in the fight against hunger.