
The United States Can End Hunger and Food Insecurity for Millions of People
Policymakers must reimagine the United States’ long-term approach to food production and distribution to build an equitable and sustainable system that works for all.
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Arohi Pathak is the director of policy for the Poverty to Prosperity Program at American Progress. Pathak brings with her 20 years of policy experience in social and economic justice, on a variety of issues related to family economic security, workforce policy, the social safety net, early care and education, and asset building.
Before joining American Progress, Pathak worked at Prosperity Now, mobilizing community-based organizations to address economic mobility in low-income and communities of color, while helping to scale up innovative practices that build long-term and enduring financial security. Pathak’s work stretches across all communities of color, including Native ones, bringing a lens of racial wealth equity to policy and programmatic solutions.
Prior to Prosperity Now, Pathak worked on federal and state advocacy, focusing on family economic security and workforce issues at the Service Employees International Union, Voices for America’s Children, and People for the American Way Foundation. Pathak has a background in civic participation and political engagement and holds an M.A. from American University in international communications and peace and conflict resolution.
Policymakers must reimagine the United States’ long-term approach to food production and distribution to build an equitable and sustainable system that works for all.
Understanding how the key social determinants of health—including housing, employment, and education—affect perinatal health is critical to ensuring that federal policies support healthy babies and families.
It is past time for policymakers to develop a long-term vision that addresses the infant formula crisis and focuses on building a more responsive, resilient food system and safety net for all.
Congress must act now to resolve the nation’s infant and specialty formula crisis by addressing supplies, cost, and accessibility and then take steps to prevent future shortages.
Arohi Pathak explains how the infant formula crisis sheds light on the inequitable food system in the United States.
With food insecurity worsening due to the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting economic recession, and, more recently, supply chain issues and inflation, congressional action is necessary to ease hardship for millions.
While the U.S. economy is recovering for many Americans, Black men continue to experience persistent unemployment gaps and reduced economic opportunity.
Data show that in just one year, the 2021 American Rescue Plan eased hardship for millions of Americans and demonstrated the need for further federal investment to build a long-term, equitable economy that works for all.
If the Senate fails to pass the Build Back Better Act by the end of the year, the expanded Child Tax Credit will expire and millions of families will be pushed back into poverty.
American Rescue Plan funding allows state and local governments to invest in employment solutions for their residents, including skills training, career pathways in educational settings, child care, and other basic needs.
American Indian and Alaska Native women in the United States make just 60 cents for every dollar earned by their white male counterparts, and this wage gap forces too many of them and their families into poverty.
Ensuring a quality education for America’s students during the COVID-19 pandemic will require a range of federal and state supports, as well as efforts to build a robust economy that works for everyone.