Glossary

A

Acute Hunger | The result of significant undernourishment over a sustained period of time.

B

Backpack Program | A meal program, often run by a food bank, that provides nutritious and easy-to-prepare weekend meals to children.  Backpack Programs are intended to supplement the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program, which provide low and no-cost meals to qualifying students during the week. Feeding America runs a notable Backpack Program.

Built Environment | The human-made environment in which a person lives. The Built Environment is a key factor when addressing any public health issue. For example, the novel coronavirus will spread much more freely among people whose Built environment includes few windows, little green space, and minimal ventilation.  

C

The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) | An optional qualification that schools and local educational agencies (LEAs) can seek from the USDA, which allows the qualifying institutions to offer free meals to all enrolled students.  In order to qualify for the CEP, school and LEAs must demonstrate to the USDA that forty percent (40%) or more of the enrolled students are “Identified Students” (e.g. automatically qualify for free meals under the NSLP or SBP due to their enrollment in certain other government benefit programs).  Students attending institutions without CEP qualification must apply to the institution for low or no costs meals, and must submit evidence of their household finances along with the application.

D

Doughnut Economics | A progressive economic model developed by English economist Kate Raworth, which prioritizes human rights and the environment as methods for achieving sustainable economic and social development in the 21st century. "The Doughnut" shape is as a visual representation of the competing forces pushing on present-day society. On the outside there's the inherent limit to Earth's resources, which humans need to survive. On the inside are basic needs (as outlined in the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals), which humans also require to survive and thrive. If members of any society use too many resources or lack too many basic needs, the population as a whole cannot progress. As a result, Raworth argues that 21st leaders who want to make long-term progress must focus more on meeting the basic needs of all citizens and developing environmentally-sustainable practices, and less on simply making money (GDP).

Doughnut Hole | A reference to Kate Raworth's theory of Doughnut Economics (see above). The inner rim of the doughnut represents the level at which all humans' basic needs are met, so the "doughnut hole" represents an area where all basic needs are NOT being met. Basic needs, as determined by the UN, include: shelter, food, clean water, education, health, justice and gender equality, among others. People who cannot consistently count on the fulfillment of these basic needs are said to be living in the doughnut hole.

E

Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) | An electronic payment system that enables government benefit recipients to use their benefits (via a debit card) to make retail purchases in the same way a person would using a debit card.

F

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) | A federal government agency that oversees the manufacturing and distribution of food, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, tobacco and other consumer devices.

Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) | A member agency of the USDA, tasked with reducing hunger and food insecurity through a variety of programs focused on government benefits, meal subsidization, and nutrition standards.

Food Deserts | geographic areas where residents have limited or no access to affordable, healthy, and nutritious foods 

Food Insecurity | The lack of consistent access to enough food for an active and healthy lifestyle.

Food Loss | Food that is spoiled, spilled, or lost in some other manner during production.

Federal Poverty Level | An economic measure used to determine whether a household qualifies for certain federal benefits.

Food Security | Consistent access to enough food for an active and healthy lifestyle.

Food Swamps | Geographic areas where unhealthy food options vastly outnumber healthy, nutritious food options.

Functional Health | the ability to perform all of one's daily self care activities.

G

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) | The total value of all finished goods and services produce by a country, within that country's borders.  GDP is used as an indicator of overall economic health of a country.

H

Hunger | The sensation of discomfort caused by lack of food.

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) | The federal agency charged with enhancing and protecting the  protect the health and well-being of all Americans. Many federal agencies sit under the HHS umbrella, such as the FDA and the CDC.

I

Informal Economy | A part of any economy that is not monitored or taxed, and has received no tax or regulatory waiver from the relevant government(s). Teenagers babysitting, children running lemonade stands, and adults fixing cars in their neighborhood for cash are all examples of informal economic activity.  

J

K

L

M

Medicaid | A federal and state program that helps with medical costs for some people with limited income and resources, children, pregnant women, elderly adults and people with disabilities.

N

National School Lunch Program (NSLP) | A federally subsidized meal program operating for the benefit of children in public schools, nonprofit private schools, and residential child care institutions. Participating institutions are reimbursed by the federal government for the cost of providing low or no cost lunches (which must meet certain federal nutrition criteria) to qualifying students.  Students at participating institutions can qualify for the NSLP by either (a) living in a household with income below the applicable threshold for their geographic area, (b) automatically qualifying due to their enrollment in certain other government benefit program (such as SNAP or Medicaid), or (c) attending an institution that is eligible for the CEP.

Nutrient-Dense Food | Food that has a high ratio of nutrients to calories

O

P

Post-Consumer Food Waste | Food waste created by a consumer. An example is tater tots cooked, but not eaten by a consumer.

Poverty | A lack of sufficient financial resources necessary to maintain minimum standard of living. Poverty does not mean lack of any financial resources, nor does it mean lack of an opportunity for financial gain.

Pre-Consumer Food Waste | Food waste created by a food service operator (farmer, manufacturer, restaurant staff, etc.). An example is the skins trimmed from a potato by the manufacturer of frozen tater tots.

Q

R

Rooftop Garden | A human-made green space located on top of some occupied (or occupiable) structure. Rooftop gardens are often located on the tops of multi-family residential buildings.  

S

School Breakfast Program (SBP) | A federally subsidized meal program operating for the benefit of children in public schools, nonprofit private schools, and residential child care institutions. Participating institutions are reimbursed by the federal government for the cost of providing low or no cost breakfast (which must meet certain federal nutrition criteria) to qualifying students.  Students at participating institutions can qualify for the SBP by either (a) living in a household with income below the applicable threshold for their geographic area, (b) automatically qualifying due to their enrollment in certain other government benefit program (such as SNAP or Medicaid), or (c) attending an institution that is eligible for the CEP.

Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) | The non-medical factors that influence health outcome (and lead to health inequity). Per the World Health Organization, the SDOH are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age.  

Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) | A federally subsidized meal program operating for the benefit of children at camps, schools, and community organizations. Participating organizations are reimbursed by the federal government for the cost of providing low or no cost meals and snacks (which must meet certain federal nutrition criteria) to qualifying students.  The SFSP operates during the months when school is not in session to lessen the risk of food insecurity for at risk students during the summer.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) | A federal government benefit program (formerly known as the Food Stamp Program) that provides low and no-income individuals with an allotted monthly benefit that can be used to purchase and other essentials. The benefits (similar to a voucher) are not delivered to the recipient in cash form, but through an EBT card (prior to the implementation of the EBT system, the benefits were delivered in actual stamps) The federal government pays retailers who accept SNAP benefits the cash value of the items purchased. 

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) | A federal government benefit program that provides monthly payments to individuals (regardless of age) who meet a statutorily-prescribed definition of "disabled". 

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) | A call-to-action comprised of 17 goals that should be integrated into every country’s economic development plans in order to create and sustain a better world. The 17 goals are: (1) No Poverty - End poverty in all its forms everywhere, (2) Zero Hunger, (3) Good Health and Well-Being - Ensure healthy lives nd promote well-being for all at all ages, (4) Quality Education, (5) Gender Equality - Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls, (6) Clean Water and Sanitation - Ensure access to water and sanitation for all, (7) Affordable and Clean Energy - Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy, (8) Decent Work and Economic Growth - Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all, (9) Industries, Innovation and Infrastructure - Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation, (10) Reduced Inequalities - Reduce inequality within and among countries, (11) Sustainable Cities and Communities - Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable, (12) Responsible Consumption and Production - Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns, (13) Climate Action - Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts, (14) Life Below Water - Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources, (15) Life On Land - Sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation, halt biodiversity loss, (16) Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions - Promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies, (17) Partnerships for the Goals - Revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.

T

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) | A a federal government benefit program that provides low and no-income families with children under 18 with monthly cash payments and access to various training programs designed to help the recipient family secure employment sufficient to reduce or eliminate their need for the program.

Thrifty Food Plan | The cheapest of the four USDA Food Plans, the Thrifty Food Plan is intended to describe a method for maintaining a nutritious diet at minimal cost. The Thrifty Food Plan is the basis for determining maximum allowable benefits under SNAP.

The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) | A federal program aimed at supporting food insecure persons irrespective of their qualification or registration in any federal or state government benefit program.  TEFAP provides nutritious USDA foods and funding to States, which then distribute those foods and funds to qualified organizations.  Most TEFAP food and funds are distributed to Food Banks, Food Pantries, and Meal Programs.