Here's how you know.
 **Official websites use .gov**
        
        A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
 **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
        
        A **lock** (  ) or **https://** means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
 National Agricultural Library
                U.S. Department of Agriculture
        
                              Secondary Links
  

        
      Ask A QuestionContact UsDigiTopSite Search
Submit Search

                              menu

                                      Main menu

      
      HomeTopicsAnimal Health and WelfareEconomics, Business, and TradeFarms and Agricultural Production SystemsHuman Nutrition and Food SafetyNatural Resources, Conservation, and EnvironmentPlant Production and GardeningRural Development and CommunitiesAll TopicsResearch ToolsNAL Catalog (AGRICOLA)PubAgAg Data CommonsNAL ThesaurusFood Data CentralFood Safety Research Projects DatabaseManuscript Collections SearchAll Research ToolsCollectionsDigital CollectionsExhibitsSpecial CollectionsStories From the CollectionGovernment DocumentsAll CollectionsDataScientific Data ServicesData Management Planning ServicesCreate a DMPDMP Feedback and ReviewFind a Data RepositoryData Management GlossaryData Management VideosServicesPublic Access and Open Science at USDAData Management PlanningAg Data Commons User GuideDigiTopBorrow MaterialsReference and ResearchAll ServicesAbout UsAbout the LibraryEventsOrganization ChartInternshipsProgram AreasContact Us Home
          Human Nutrition and Food Safety
          Food SecurityFood Security

  View information, programs, and research about food security, which USDA's Economic Research Service defines as access by all people at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life.
Food security includes at a minimum:
The ready availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods.
Assured ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways (that is, without resorting to emergency food supplies, scavenging, stealing, or other coping strategies).

  Featured Resources
    
    USDA Food Security
    
    Discover how USDA supports global food security through in-country capacity building, basic and applied research, and support for improved market information, statistics and analysis.

    View USDA Food Security Efforts
      
              Food Security in the U.S.ERS chart of U.S. households with children by food security status, 2020.
    
    View data, reports, videos, and interactive charts about food security and food insecurity from the Economic Research Service (ERS).

    Browse ERS Food Security Resources
      
              Local Food Directories
    
    Locate farmers markets, on-farm markets, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) networks, and food hubs in your local area using the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) Local Food Directories.

    Browse AMS Local Food Directories

  Food Systems Resilience:  Concepts & Policy ApproachesPresents advocates and policymakers with a suite of policy tools for strengthening food system resilience.

    Read the Guide
      
              National Gleaning ProjectAccess information on laws and regulations pertaining to gleaning, food recovery, and food donation.  Identify relevant research and resources.  View an interactive map of gleaning and food recovery organizations.

    Find Gleaning Information
      
              Healthy Food Policy ProjectView key issues, identify laws, access webinars and tools, and find relevant resources on healthy food policies.

    Use HFPP Tools

  Data and Research
    
    Data Products: Food Security in the United States
              USDA. Economic Research Service.


      Global Food Security
              USDA. Economic Research Service.


      FNS Data and Research: Food Security
              USDA. Food and Nutrition Service.


      Healthy People 2030: Household Food Insecurity and Hunger
              HHS. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.


      The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World
              Food and Agriculture Organization.
      
              Image
              Man pushing a shopping cart at a grocery store.

  Access to Research Articles
  

      Exploring the link among food loss, waste and food security: what the research ...
      The potential of agricultural programs for improving food security: A multi-cou...
      Improving Food Security in Medical Students Using a Cooking Program
      Social Norms and Stigma: Implications for Measuring Childhood Food Security
      Traditional foodstuffs and household food security in a time of crisisSee all 16,756 resultsDatabases and Systems**Food Availability (Per Capita) Data System**
Find food availability data, loss-adjusted food availability data, and nutrient availability data for over 200 commodities.
**Food Security Portal**
View 40+ indicators related to food security, commodity prices, economics, and human well-being for every country in the world, covering over 50 years.
**Food Security Analysis Assessment Bank**
Search a database of food security analysis publications.
**Famine Early Warning System**
Find resources including the FEWS NET Data Center indicating Livelihood Zones and Food Insecurity Classification Data, Livelihood Zones, and Price and Cross Border Trade.
**Famine Foods Database**
Explore this searchable database of food sources that are not usually considered crops but may be consumed during famines.
      
              Search the NAL Collection
  

      Sustainable agriculture for food security : a global perspective / Acharya Balk...
      Potato crop : management, production, and food security / Pedro Manuel Villa.
      Household food security in the United States in 2019
      Water for food security, nutrition and social justice / Lyla Mehta, Theib Oweis...
      Encyclopedia of food security and sustainability / editors in chief, Pasquale F...See all 5,263 resultsPolicy and Implementation**Food Systems Resilience: Concepts & Policy Approaches**
This report provides basic information on resilience thinking and policy tools for strengthening the resilience of food systems to extreme weather events.
**Healthy Food Policy Project**
View a policy database, case studies, webinars, and additional resources to support the development of sustainable and equitable local food systems.
**Farmers Market Legal Toolkit**
Obtain legal resources, best practices, and case studies for building resilient and accessible farmers markets in local communities.
**State Farm to School Policy Handbook**
This tool provides case studies, analysis of legislative trends, summaries of proposed bills, and other policy resources for advancing the farm to school movement.
**Growing Food Connections**
Find resources, including a collection of publications, to support the creation and implementation of plans and policies that enable the growth of economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable community food systems.


  National Agricultural Library Digital Collection (NALDC)
    

    
            Explore materials about food security in the NALDC.
      

    
            Browse the Collection

      Provisions of the Food Security Act of 1985
    
    

          1986
      The National Nutrition Safety Net: Tools for Community Food Security
    
    

          2000
      Access to Affordable and Nutritious Food: Measuring and Understanding Food Deserts and Their Consequences: Report to Congress
    
    

          2009
      Food Insecurity in Households with Children: Prevalence, Severity, and Household Characteristics
    
    

          2009


  Nutrition Security
        

          
            View NAL's collection of resources about nutrition security, which is the consistent access, availability, and affordability of foods and beverages that promote well-being and prevent disease.Page Content Curated By
    

      Agricultural Law Information Partnership
    Alternative Farming Systems Information Center (AFSIC)
    Food and Nutrition Information Center (FNIC)
 Footer menu
  

        
      HomeSitemapSocial MediaFacebookTwitterYouTube
          
          Government Links
            AskUSDA
  Policies and Links
  Plain Writing
  FOIA
  Accessibility Statement
  Privacy Policy
  Non-Discrimination Statement
  Civil Rights Policy
  Information Quality
  Agricultural Research Service
  USDA.gov
  USA.gov
  WhiteHouse.govSign up for ARS News updates
                Your email address