Food Insecurity In Jonathan Bloom's American Wasteland

Jonathan Bloom, in his book American Wasteland, raises some hightailing issues and resolutions that are geared towards the American culture of food waste. The food waste in America today is ever so present in households across the nation that a “quarter of the food squandered would provide three meals a day for 43 million people” (Bloom 47). Taking those numbers into consideration, Americans need to make some radical decisions in changing the way they consume food and ways in discarding the leftovers. Bloom brings up reoccurring phrases in his book in order to get his messages across to readers. Three key phrases that stand out in Blooms’ writing to discuss and argue his message are food insecurity, redistribution, and guerrilla giving. Blooms’

He goes on to explain to his readers that the USDA defines food insecurity as “having limited of uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods or limited or uncertain ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways” (Bloom 43). Bloom is unsuccessful in getting his direct message across of what food insecurity is because he himself provided no means of a personal definition to show that he fully understood what food insecurity meant. Instead he offered to readers a confusing and very worded definition that was offered by the USDA. Bloom did offer examples on what food insecurity is through vivid examples of the Jamestown starving time in the winter of 1609-1610, the Great Depression, and the giant Dust Bowl. Blooms’ message of food insecurity is not new to me because I have personally come across food insecurity with my family. During the recession years back our family hit rough times where some nights there would be dinner, other nights we would not have dinner. When we did eat, it was not always the healthiest of meals or it was quick and easy take-out food. Food insecurity speaks to almost every family in America at some point in their lifetime and every individual has a different affliction and understanding of

His example of support Ag Against Hunger where they receive large quantities of one product but “redistributing out such large quantities is nearly impossible since food banks want a variety of products and only take so much of just one product” (Bloom 50). Blooms message of redistribution is one that I have personally not come across before in any experiences. Blooms provided a great foundation of understanding so that I was able to grasp the concept of redistribution of food for the hungry in America. Blooms third phrase that is presented is guerrilla giving. Bloom defines guerrilla giving as “individual donations channeling their leftovers to those in need through novel methods” (Bloom 53). Bloom provides exceptional examples in his writing to show that his term of guerrilla giving is a viable message that is attainable for his readers to understand. He describes the guerrilla giving as impromptu donations such as donating your doggie bag from a restaurant to an individual who looks hungry (Bloom 53). Another example to support his knowledge on guerrilla giving is the New York FoodBox where old newspaper boxes were converted into receptacles for leftovers with a mailbox flag on the side that is raised up when food was available