Let's take a moment and think about food insecurity: How is it different from hunger? Why does it matter? Food insecurity, according to the USDA, is “a household-level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food.” Essentially, food insecurity is the inability of a household, family or individual to adequately access a diet that meets their needs for both caloric intake and nutritional value. Hunger, on the other hand, is a “physiological condition that may result from food insecurity” resulting in “discomfort, illness, weakness or pain that goes beyond the usual uneasy sensation." Although food insecurity does not always result in hunger, there are several other chronic health conditions that it is also associated with. These include nutrient deficiency, poor oral health, birth defects and cognitive issues in children, depression, diabetes and hypertension. It is therefore imperative for us as a community to understand and address the underlying causes of food insecurity.