News — food security

Previously I reported about the shortages of meats at supermarkets, and how this reflected not a shortage of meat in the U.S., but the failures of our supply chains when a nationwide crisis hits, such as the Coronavirus scare has done.

I discussed how allowing local communities to directly access meat from farmers and ranchers in their own counties and states was the solution to food security issues in our nation's meat supplies.

The publication Civil Eats has done an excellent job of reporting on these kinds of problems that are systemic within our nation's food supply chains.

In another excellent investigative report on flour shortages that many are starting to see around the country, Amy Halloran has written an excellent article titled:

"Flour Shortage? Amber Waves of Regional Grains to the Rescue: A grain and flour expert enthusiast says the local flour revolution is tastier, healthier, and has created more robust markets."

Again, as we saw with the meat market, there is currently no shortage of flour in our nation. The issue is the frail supply chain.

In yet another excellent article published by Civil Eats, Jodi Helmer wrote a report titled:

"Restaurants Are Transforming into Grocery Stores to Survive the Pandemic: Selling sought-after eggs, flour, and toilet paper directly to consumers has provided an ‘emergency transfusion’ for restaurants."

In our article about Wyoming's Food Freedom Act and the nation's meat supply issues, we mentioned how the closing of restaurants and other venues that serve food, such as sporting and entertainment events, was what was putting a strain on the meat market supplies.

With the entire nation confined to their homes and unable to visit restaurants and other venues where food is served, this in turn created a huge demand for more food at grocery stores, while bulk food distributors were left with an excess of inventory that was not packaged properly for retail sales.

Helmer's article documents how some restaurants have dealt with this situation while solving two problems at once: providing more business for their restaurant so they could stay in business, and providing much needed items to their consumers that they could not find in their local grocery stores, such as eggs, flour, and toilet paper.

What is the answer to the food security issue facing our nation?