Imagine a country in which all individuals, families, and communities have ready access to enough affordable, nutritious food to sustain healthy lives. However, this was still an illusory notion for at least 13.8 million food insecure US households in 2020. 1 Household food insecurity is defined by having difficulty at some time during the year providing enough food for all members because of lack of resources. 1 Moreover, in 2020, the prevalence of food insecurity among African American/ Black

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... households was estimated at 21.7%, and among Latino/Hispanic households was estimated at 17.2%, both substantially higher than the overall estimated prevalence of 13.5%. 1 For many of these individuals and families, circumstances largely out of their control, such as where they were born and live, their income and assets, and food prices, directly limit access to healthy food choices. Children who experience hunger and food insecurity are less likely to perform well in school and to attain higher education. Unemployment and underemployment also contribute to food insecurity, and adults who lack access to quality food are less likely to achieve and maintain employment, particularly in well-paying jobs. Even in one of the wealthiest countries in the world, levels of hunger in the US are high, and increasing, with serious health consequences and multigenerational effects. Although many US residents do not maintain a healthy diet, nutrition disparities are profound among underresourced communities due to lack of access to fresh fruits and vegetables combined with the wide availability and consumption of inexpensive and unhealthy ultraprocessed foods. 3] [4] The rising incidence of US food insecurity, worsened significantly by COVID-19, is a national crisis that limits economic opportunity and mobility and further entrenches inequity in the nation. 5 n 2021, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) convened an interagency workshop 6 and published a Request for Information (NOT-OD-21-183) to identify research gaps and opportunities related to food insecurity, hunger, and the neighborhood food environment (eTable in the Supplement). This Viewpoint reinforces the urgency for research to identify evidence-based solutions and intersectoral actions to eliminate nutrition disparities. The NIH has released funding opportunity announcements (PAR-22-113, PAS-21-031, and RFA-NR-22-001) to support research in this area.