By Chang Liu
Access to nutritious food is Floridians’ primary concern in terms of food security, as research from the UF/IFAS Center for Public Issues Education shows people are most concerned about children receiving balanced meals.
In order to gauge Floridians’ perceptions of food security, 510 residents responded to an online survey conducted by the PIE Center, which then weighted the responses to be representative of 2010 Census demographics.
Eight-six percent of Floridians agreed or strongly agreed with the statement that some adults go hungry, while 89 percent felt the same about children. In general, 54 percent of respondents did not think adults have access to sufficient food, and 68 percent thought the same for children.
Respondents showed the highest level of concern for access to nutritious food: 64 percent of respondents disagreed or strongly disagreed that adults have sufficient access to nutritious food, with 72 percent disagreeing or strongly disagreeing with a statement that said children have sufficient access to nutritious food.
When asked about access to safe food, 49 percent of respondents said adults did not have enough, compared to 63 percent who thought the same for children.
The relatively low concern for the access to safe food surprised PIE Center researcher Joy Rumble, because respondents strongly valued food safety elsewhere in the survey. Rumble is an assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural Education and Communication.
“I think it’s because safety depends on more criteria. It’s not as cut and dry as access to food or even access to nutritious food,” she said. “It’s easier for them to make that distinction to look at food and determine if it’s nutritious or not.”
Overall, respondents showed more concern for children’s food security than adults’. But according to the United States Department of Agriculture, children are usually more protected than adults from food insecurity. Nevertheless, 10 percent of U.S. households with children do not have access to enough food. About 8.3 million children are affected by disrupted eating patterns and reduced food intake.
In Florida, children are even more at risk, as Feeding America determined the state had the fifth-highest rates of child food insecurity. Twenty-eight percent of Florida’s children, or 1.1 million, do not have enough access to food, according to the organization. Overall, 17 percent, or 3.1 million, of Floridians are food insecure.
This survey is the center’s fourth public opinion survey. Previous surveys have analyzed Floridians’ reactions to issues related to water quality and quantity, immigration reform and endangered species. In February 2014, the PIE Center will revisit these four topics to track changes in public opinion over time.
