Seeking Food Security: Environmental Factors Influencing Home Food Preservation and Wellness, Part II: 1960-2010

Important events in the natural environment and society along with dramatic changes in family structures and available resources have occurred from 1910 to 2010, impacting household food security and wellness. This article, Seeking Food Security Part II, reports associations among historical environmental events, societal trends, and activities undertaken by families, communities, and governmental agencies striving to gain food security and wellness in the United States for the years 1960-2010. (See Part I for 1910-1959.) Historical research from multiple disciplines and contemporary survey data were the sources for this part of the study. The human ecosystem theory was applied to frame the interrelationships among events and actions. Dramatic economic shifts, more women in the labor force, societal changes in food patterns, and the Information Age were highly influential factors in household food behavior and activities. Governmental agencies had high and low periods of involvement in home food preservation and wellness promotion; these activities were greatly influenced by scientific discoveries and related applications to maintaining food security and wellness.