Anna Jastrzębiec-Witowska

Food-Insecure from the Start

Introduction

Food-insecure from the start. The 2022 infant formula crisis exposed deep food insecurity. This study analyzes market concentration, political conflicts, and policy failures, advocating bold steps for lasting infant food security.

Abstract

The 2022 infant formula crisis has brought a new meaning to food insecurity, generally understood as “a household-level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food” (USDA Economic Research Service, Definitions of Food Security). The problem has been affecting a specific social category: people caring for infants. As expected, it exacerbated food insecurity and food worries among low income and minority families, but also impacted families commonly perceived as the middle class. There are no easy solutions to the problem which combines post-pandemic supply disruptions with a decadeslong market concentration in the domestic formula sector, with four companies controlling around 90% of the market supply and virtually none coming from other countries due to steep import tariffs on the most formula (Horsley). Throughout the spring and summer of 2022, the formula crisis served as a proxy for the interplay of economic, political, and social conflicts extant in the United States. Besides direct conflicts, like those between formula manufacturers, families in need of formula, and breastfeeding advocates, there are also post-2020 presidential election conflicts between those who accepted the results and those who rejected them. These conflicts will be examined here, as well as the responsibilities of government agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration to ensure that important food staples such as baby formula meet stringent safety criteria, which — given the current shape of the U.S. food system — could lead to depletion of these very supplies when problems arise. While the blame game continues and becomes political, with fingers being pointed at manufacturers, government agencies, the Biden administration and even the babies of migrants detained at the U.S. borders, no longterm policies preventing such a crisis in the future have been established. The measures implemented by the Biden administration to alleviate the problem, including 26 events of Operation Fly Formula to transport infant milk to the U.S. from various parts of the world, reduced the crisis only to a certain extent. Much bolder steps against market concentration in the milk formula sector and towards a smarter imports policy and better hygiene standards in production facilities must be taken to increase the food security of infants and young children in the United States.

Review

The paper "Food-Insecure from the Start" presents a timely and critical examination of the 2022 infant formula crisis, reframing the concept of food insecurity through the lens of this specific, impactful event. The abstract effectively introduces the multi-faceted nature of the problem, highlighting its origins in post-pandemic supply disruptions and a highly concentrated domestic market, further exacerbated by stringent import tariffs. It broadens the traditional understanding of food insecurity beyond low-income households, demonstrating its impact across various socioeconomic strata, including the middle class. Overall, the abstract promises a compelling analysis of a significant societal challenge with far-reaching implications. A significant strength of this work lies in its ambitious scope, viewing the formula crisis not merely as an isolated supply chain issue, but as a "proxy for the interplay of economic, political, and social conflicts extant in the United States." This analytical framework promises to connect the immediate problem with broader societal tensions, including government agency responsibilities (e.g., FDA), market failures, and even post-election political divides. The paper's explicit focus on market concentration and inadequate import policies as root causes, coupled with a critique of the limited efficacy of short-term government interventions like "Operation Fly Formula," offers a valuable and much-needed perspective for developing long-term preventative measures. Its call for "bolder steps" against market concentration and towards smarter import and hygiene policies is a crucial contribution to policy discourse. While the abstract outlines a comprehensive analytical approach, the full paper would benefit from a detailed exposition of how it intends to examine the proposed "post-2020 presidential election conflicts" and their direct relevance to the formula crisis. Ensuring a clear methodological framework for connecting these broader political conflicts to the core issue of infant food security will be vital to maintain focus and academic rigor. Additionally, while advocating for "bolder steps," a deeper dive into potential policy mechanisms and their anticipated impacts, perhaps through comparative analysis with other nations' approaches, could further strengthen the recommendations. Nevertheless, this paper addresses a critical and under-examined aspect of food security, offering a robust foundation for understanding the complexities of the 2022 formula crisis and outlining essential pathways for future policy action. It is a valuable contribution to the journal's readership.

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