Congressman Adam Putnam today called for a prompt federal response to a new report showing hunger in the United States has reached the highest level since the government has been keeping track.

“According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 50 million Americans – and nearly one child in four – are struggling to get enough food to eat,” said Putnam. “There is no excuse for such hunger in America.  This is a distribution problem, not a supply problem, and Florida can lead the way with strong partnerships between farmers, food banks and those in need. As the top winter fresh fruit and vegetable producing state in the nation, Florida can play a powerful role in alleviating this crisis.”

The USDA report issued this week shows that among Americans of all ages, more than 16 percent – about 50 million people – sometimes ran short of nutritious food, compared with about 12 percent the year before. The deterioration in access to food during 2008 among both children and adults far eclipses that of any other single year in the report's history.

Among children, the number living in very low food insecure households – the hungriest of the hungry – rose from 323,000 in 2007 to 506,000 in 2008.  In addition, a recent report in The St. Petersburg Times found the number of school children in the Tampa Bay area receiving free or price-reduced lunches has grown by 17,000 this year.

“Among other needs, these reports highlight the necessity to provide more nutritionally valuable fruits and vegetables to kids in our schools,” said Putnam. “Our school lunch program is a critical program for teaching healthier, life-long eating habits and as a means of distributing some of America’s abundance to those in need.”

Putnam, a member of the Hunger Caucus in the House of Representatives, has been a strong supporter of efforts to improve nutritional food to needy Americans.  In previous Congresses, he introduced the Healthy America Act, to provide more nutritional food to school children as part of the Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act.  This summer, provisions he authored were included in major food safety overhaul legislation passed in the House.

Currently he is s a cosponsor of H.R. 1869, a bill authorizing a White House Conference on Food and Nutrition to bring together experts in food, health, nutrition, and economic security.

He is also a cosponsor of the Global Food Security Act of 2009 (H.R.3077) to provide assistance through U.S. land-grant universities to improve food availability.

In addition, Putnam is working with Rep. Sam Farr (D-Calif.) to introduce the Children’s Fruit and Vegetable Act of 2009, which would improve the nutritional quality of school meals. 

To read the entire USDA report, visit the USDA Web site at: http://www.ers.usda.gov/briefing/FoodSecurity/

Since 2001, Putnam has represented Florida’s 12^th Congressional District, which includes most of Polk County and portions of Hillsborough and Osceola counties.