Poverty and Hunger

Overview:
	Poverty and hunger continue to be persistent problems both in the United States and in other countries around the world. The causes, prevalence and consequences of poverty and hunger need to be better understood in order to meet these challenges with appropriate responses. Although the reduction or elimination of poverty and hunger have been long-standing public goals, the success of many programs and policies has often been disappointing. Identifying those individuals or groups with the greatest need for assistance, findings more effective and lower cost ways to reduce poverty and alleviate hunger, and identifying long-term solutions to both problems, are among the tasks facing community leaders, policymakers, economists and other social scientists working on these topics. The factors affecting the prevalence of poverty and hunger in rural areas, in urban areas, and among children are some of the areas of research under investigation.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
	How is poverty measured in the U.S. and what do the data show?
	How do persistent poverty and poverty demographics vary across the rural-urban continuum?[pdf]
	How many people are hungry or food insecure in the U.S.?
	Is global hunger caused by a global lack of food?
Other Resources and Internet Links:
	Rural Poverty Research Center
	Center on Hunger and Poverty
	Institute for Research on Poverty
	National Poverty Center
	Database on State Rural Legislation (National Conference of State Legislatures
	International Food Policy Research Institute
Publications, Presentations and Working Papers
	Welfare Reform and Food Assistance in Rural American (Bruce Weber and Greg Duncan)[pdf]