Research
The ConAgra Foods Foundation is at the forefront in the fight against hunger. As part of this commitment we fund research in partnership with Feeding America to provide comprehensive reports on child hunger in the United States.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Economic Research Service (ERS) releases a report every year on the state of food insecurity in our nation, or what we consider hunger or at risk of hunger. However, the USDA’s report does not provide estimates of children in food insecure households by state. Feeding America and the ConAgra Foods Foundation sought to fill this void by contracting with an esteemed researcher in the field of child hunger and its impact on children, John Cook, Ph.D., of the Boston Medical Center.
Child Food Insecurity by State
Published May 2009
The analysis includes the first ever state-by-state analysis of early child hunger, using data collected by the USDA. The report also found that food insecurity among all children (persons less than 18 years of age) increased dramatically in many states, when compared to USDA data collected between 2003 and 2005.
Full report: Child Food Insecurity by State
Child Food Insecurity: The Economic Impact on our Nation
Published July 2009
This report summarizes results of research completed by Children’s HealthWatch, formerly the Children’s Sentinel Nutrition Assessment Program (C-SNAP), and by many other researchers, on the impacts of food insecurity and hunger on children’s health, growth and development. A large body of research literature, amassed over the past two decades, shows clearly that food insecurity and hunger together with other correlates of poverty, can dramatically alter the architecture of children’s brains, making it impossible for them to fulfill their potential.
Full report: Child Food Insecurity: The Economic Impact on our Nation
Other Research
Many other organizations conduct additional research on the issue of child hunger and nutrition education in America. Please visit our Related Organizations section.
Hunger by the Numbers
One in five children is struggling with hunger in America. In some U.S. counties though, that number is as high as one in two Feeding America's Map the Meal Gap illustrates the reality of hunger in communities nationwide.
No Kid Hungry
We believe no child in America should go hungry. Take the No Kid Hungry Pledge today and add your voice to the community of people passionate about ending childhood hunger in America.
Apply for a Grant
Want to apply for a grant from the ConAgra Foods Foundation? Learn about the application process and the criteria the ConAgra Foods Foundation uses to evaluate grant applications here.
