When we think of humans suffering from hunger, many of us conjure images of emaciated people in underdeveloped parts of the world. In places where famine has taken hold, commonly caused by war or climate disasters, there is truly a shortage of food.

In Greater Cincinnati hunger looks quite different. In fact, it’s not often visible to those of us who aren’t experiencing it. Here, hunger is not starvation. Here, hunger is a child missing nutritious meals on weekends when they’re not in school. It’s a parent stressed out about feeding their family. It’s an elder who skips meals at the end of the month when the grocery budget has run out.

Here, hunger is not a function of lack of food. The U.S. produces plenty of food: nearly 4,000 calories per person per day as of 2019 according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. We waste a lot of food, too, about 1,250 calories per person per day. Even accounting for waste, the U.S. produces more food than we need.