The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) notes that food security means all individuals, regardless of their physical or economic circumstances, have access to sufficient food to meet the dietary needs for a productive, healthy life. Food security is a more significant issue than people may recognize, even in fully developed countries. For example, the United States Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service indicates that slightly more than 10% of U.S. households were food insecure at some point during 2021. In fact, estimates suggest more than 800 million people around the globe go to bed hungry every night.

Food security and the agricultural industry are inextricably linked. The USAID indicates that most of the people who go to bed hungry at night are smallholder farmers who depend on agriculture to make a living and feed themselves and their families. Supporting efforts to strengthen the agricultural industry can help to combat food insecurity, as the USAID reports that growth within that sector has been found to be at least twice as effective at reducing poverty as growth in other sectors. That trend may be due in part to the disproportionate percentage of people in need who live in rural rather than urban areas. Data from the 2019 American Community Survey indicates the poverty rate in rural areas in the U.S. was 15.4% in 2019 compared to 11.9% in urban areas.

To help improve food security, individuals in rural and urban communities can voice their support for efforts to strengthen the agricultural sector. They may also support this sector by purchasing locally grown food and shopping at farmers markets.

A thriving agricultural sector can ensure fewer people go to bed hungry each night and bolster the economies of rural communities.