If our goal is a food secure America, changemakers need to consider all six pillars of food security when we think about our work.

The six-dimension model of food security is vital because it transforms food security thinking from addressing basic needs to fostering just, resilient, and sustainable food systems—ensuring both human well-being and ecological integrity now and in the future. It does not minimize the importance of providing basic needs. Rather, it enables broader thinking about the role of basic needs in light of systems that are beyond the control of basic needs organizations.

Spending time on this issue will help:

  • Program staff – develop language that puts basic needs in a proper light.
  • Public relations staff – provide language to tell the whole story of the community and the challenges of basic needs organizations.
  • Fund raising staff – deliver compelling case points.
  • Executive leadership – support organizational values beyond providing pounds of food and develop metrics that are outcomes, not just outputs; provide transparency and live by example.
  • Board of Directors – deliver clarity about values and outcomes.
  • Grant reviewers – uphold values common to many grant makers.
  • Funders of food security efforts – deliver set of ideas and specific ways to make a difference.

 

Values: Progress, Integrity
6-part food security scorecard: Access, sustainability

What is important about the six-dimension model of food security?

1. Comprehensive Scope

Adds Agency and Sustainability to the original four-dimensions.

  • Agency: Empowers individuals and communities to make decisions about what they eat, produce, and how they engage with food systems—recognizing food as a matter of human rights and democratic participation. [experience…arcgis.com], [researchgate.net]
  • Sustainability: Ensures food systems can continue to meet present needs without undermining future ecological, social, and economic foundations. [experience…arcgis.com], [researchgate.net]

In effect, this model reframes food security as a dynamic, rights-driven, and ecological concept—not just as the simple presence or affordability of food.

 

2. Reflects Real-World Challenges

  • Power Inequalities: Highlights the need for community empowerment in food choices and production—addressing issues of justice and equity. [researchgate.net], [we-do-change.org]
  • Ecological Resilience: Draws attention to environmental pressures—climate change, resource depletion, and biodiversity—that threaten long-term food systems. [researchgate.net], [fao.org]

These additions align the model with urgent global challenges like climate disruption and systemic inequity.

 

3. Enhances Policy and Governance

Incorporating agency and sustainability transforms how stakeholders—governments, NGOs, and donors—approach solutions by:

  • Shifting from emergency aid to rights-based interventions that empower communities.
  • Designing environmentally sustainable policies that protect ecosystems and livelihoods.

Promoting participatory governance, where communities help shape food system policies. [researchgate.net], [nj.gov]

 

4. Improves System Resilience

  • Stability addresses shock absorption (weather, economic, health crises).
  • Utilization ensures nutritional quality, safety, and proper absorption.

Combined with agency and sustainability, the model supports resilient, adaptable, and locally appropriate food systems. [experience…arcgis.com], [fao.org]

This multi-dimensional lens is especially useful in crises like the COVID-19 pandemic or geopolitical disruptions (e.g., conflict-induced supply chain shocks). [fao.org]

 

5. Aligns with Global Standards

The High-Level Panel of Experts (HLPE) of the UN Committee on World Food Security formally endorsed six dimensions in 2020, reflecting a consensus shift in global food governance. [we-do-change.org], [fao.org]

International bodies such as the FAO and CMCs support this wider framework, recognizing the importance of rights, equity, and ecological sustainability. [nj.gov], [fao.org]

 

Why it matters

  • Holistic Understanding: Food security is not only about “enough food”—it’s equally about who controls the food system and whether it endures for future generations.
  • Policy Alignment: Enables targeted, well-rounded policies that tackle immediate needs, structural inequities, and future risks.
  • Community Impact: Empowers communities, improves local governance, and fosters resilience—benefiting everyone from households to national systems.
red arrow pointing right

Six Dimensions of Food Security

Here are clear, current examples of how each of the six dimensions of food security is being effectively implemented in the United States:

 

1. Availability

Focus: Physical presence and supply of sufficient, nutritious food

  • Domestic production & supply chain resilience:
    The U.S. benefits from a robust food system; on average Americans spend only about 10–12% of their disposable income on food—a reflection of abundant, low-cost availability. [css.umich.edu], [ace-usa.org]
  • Per capita availability data:
    USDA’s Economic Research Service provides detailed metrics on national food availability across hundreds of commodities, offering insight into how much is produced and remains for consumer use. [ers.usda.gov]

 

2. Access

Focus: Economic and physical ability to obtain food

  • SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program):
    Serving over 41 million participants monthly, SNAP is the nation’s largest nutrition assistance program. In FY 2024, federal SNAP spending reached nearly $100 billion—benefits averaged around $187 per person per month.
    Research shows SNAP reduces food insecurity, poverty, and supports improved health, educational, and labor outcomes. [ers.usda.gov], [pewresearch.org] [cbpp.org], [frac.org]

 

3. Utilization

Focus: Nutritional intake, food safety, knowledge, and preparation

  • School meal programs:
    National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs serve nutritious meals to tens of millions daily. Updated nutrition standards (under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act) ensure meals include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low added sugar.
    These programs not only improve dietary intake but also boost academic performance, attendance, and healthier food habits. [heart.org], [cdc.gov], [fns.usda.gov] [cdc.gov], [schoolnutrition.org], [congress.gov]

 

4. Stability

Focus: Consistency of food access over time, especially during crises

  • TEFAP (Emergency Food Assistance Program):
    TEFAP distributes USDA-purchased American-grown foods to food banks, pantries, and soup kitchens, offering crucial support during emergencies and ongoing hardship. In fiscal 2024, $2.2 billion were allocated to TEFAP commodities and administrative support. [fns.usda.gov], [congress.gov], [feedingamerica.org]
  • D-SNAP (Disaster SNAP):
    Activated during federal-declared disasters, D-SNAP provides emergency nutritional aid when unexpected crises disrupt normal access. [usa.gov]

 

5. Agency

Focus: Empowerment and decision-making regarding food choices

  • Community gardens & People’s Garden Initiative:
    Community gardens empower individuals and neighborhoods through food production. Participants often see dramatic improvements: e.g., studies report up to a 90% drop in food insecurity and substantial increases in fresh vegetable intake.
    The USDA’s People’s Garden Initiative offers grants (e.g., $1 million since 2024) to support community-led sustainable agriculture, education, and local food empowerment. [community-…dening.org], [ifsffoodpantry.org] [fsa.usda.gov]

 

6. Sustainability

Focus: Long-term viability—environmental, economic, and social resilience

  • USDA’s Regenerative Agriculture Pilot Program:
    Launched in December 2025 with a $700 million investment, this initiative funds practices like cover cropping, conservation tillage, and whole-farm planning via EQIP and CSP. It focuses on soil health, water management, biodiversity, and nutrient density—to ensure long-term production without harming future ability. [agweb.com], [nrcs.usda.gov], [naco.org]
red arrow pointing right

Subject Matter Experts

Founded by Gerry Brisson, Dr. Phil Knight, and Ryan Hoyle, Know Better Do Better is a modern approach to reaching the next threshold of food security.

Gerry Brisson

Founding Partner, Changemaker

×

Gerry Brisson

Founding Partner, Changemaker

A strong advocate for the community’s most vulnerable residents, Gerry Brisson has dedicated more than 35 years to improving food security. He believes hunger can be solved, and that addressing it brings greater empowerment and stability to families. Gerry is a founding partner of Know Better Do Better (KBDB), which unites communities and food security leaders to drive the insights and ideas necessary for a future where no one goes hungry. KBDB aims to engage changemakers in food security, chart solutions, and drive progress to the next threshold of impact.

Prior to KBDB, Gerry served as president and CEO of Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan, the state’s largest food bank. Under his leadership, Gleaners was named the Feeding America Food Bank of the Year in 2019 and received the Governor’s Service Award for Health Impact in 2022. Gerry himself has received numerous honors, including the Eleanor Josaitis Unsung Hero Award and the Michigan Association of Broadcasters’ Best in Class Excellence Award.

Gerry created “The Household Impact Model” to illustrate how food security impacts the short- and long-term well-being of our communities. With this mindset, he served as a foundational member of the national Hunger Education Research Committee to develop nutrition standards for the Feeding America network. He also established Gleaners as a national pioneer in addressing the link between food insecurity and health through partnerships with healthcare institutions, government, and corporations.
For nine years, Gerry chaired the board of the Food Bank Council of Michigan, working with executive director Dr. Phil Knight to create a unified food bank network through advocacy and collaboration. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in organizational management and frequently serves as an expert panelist regarding the role of food banks in improving community health outcomes.

Gerry grew up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula on the shores of Lake Superior before moving to Detroit. He and his wife of 23 years, Katie Brisson, live in the area with their four children: Lexie, Nate, Jim, and Ruth.

Ryan Hoyle

Founding Partner, Changemaker

×

Ryan Hoyle

Founding Partner, Changemaker

Ryan Hoyle believes that every young person and every family should have both enough food on the table and a clear path to opportunity. A seasoned business leader and social entrepreneur, he is the co-founder of Know Better Do Better (KBDB), founder of GOALS Professional Services (GPS), and Managing Director of EsperRise. Across these roles, Ryan’s work is focused on one mission: building systems that make food security, education, and work more equitable and attainable.

Ryan launched GPS after 25 years in IT professional services to help mission-driven organizations stabilize operations and scale with intention using his Stabilize-Operationalize-Grow framework. Through EsperRise, he builds on this experience by collaborating with schools and employers to re-engage at-risk students and design inclusive workforce pipelines that connect learning to meaningful, sustainable careers.

KBDB is where Ryan’s most foundational values converge. He believes that in a country where food is plentiful, hunger is a problem we have the responsibility to solve. Together with co-founders Gerry Brisson and Dr. Phil Knight, he helps connect food security leaders and families to accelerate progress toward a future where every neighborhood has the conditions for people to thrive.

His career is marked by extensive board service with organizations such as Gleaners Food Bank and Goodwill Industries of Greater Detroit. Ryan led the award-winning “Outsource to Detroit” and “Outsource to America” initiatives and has received numerous honors, including Crain’s “40 Under 40,” DBusiness’ “30 in Their 30s,” and the Michigan Chronicle’s “Men of Excellence.” He is also a graduate of the Detroit Regional Chamber’s Leadership Detroit program.

Deeply rooted in service, Ryan is an engaged member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, a mentor to emerging leaders, and a husband and father of three living in Michigan. He brings together his expertise in operations and workforce strategy to advance a simple but ambitious goal: helping communities know better, do better, and create opportunity that lasts.

Dr. Phil Knight

Founding Partner, Changemaker

×

Dr. Phil Knight

Founding Partner, Changemaker

Dr. Phil Knight is driven by an unwavering belief that hunger is a solvable problem — and that solving it requires courage, collaboration, and leadership. He serves as the executive director of the Food Bank Council of Michigan (FBCM), a statewide organization that strengthens Michigan’s network of food banks and improves access to nutritious food for more than 1.6 million residents each year.

Phil’s commitment to ending hunger began in 1994 through humanitarian work in East Africa, where he helped establish the first schools, medical clinic, and community health centers on the Buvuma Islands of Lake Victoria, Uganda. He still speaks conversational Kiswahili — a reminder of the nine years that shaped his understanding that food is essential but never the whole answer.

Since 2003, his work has spanned conflict resolution, organizational culture, political strategy, fundraising, statewide coalition-building, and international leadership development. A licensed professional counselor in Michigan since 2009, he earned his doctorate in religious science and philosophy and is the author of The Diamond Life, a leadership workbook developed through Gray Knight Consulting, a leadership consulting firm he began in 2008.

Within the Feeding America network, Phil has served at the highest levels, including terms on the National Advisory Council and the Public Engagement Advisory Council. In Michigan, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer appointed him to chair the state’s first Food Security Council (2020-2022), where his leadership helped stabilize families during the COVID-19 pandemic and shape long-term bipartisan policy solutions.

Phil’s work has been recognized across multiple fields: he received the Governor’s Service Award in 2022 and, with co-host Gerry Brisson, earned multiple Michigan Association of Broadcasters Awards for their radio show “Food First Michigan.” He also previously hosted The Leadership Lowdown on the Michigan Business Network, where he interviewed executives, public leaders, and innovators shaping Michigan’s future.

Away from work, Phil is an avid reader and golfer who enjoys time on the lake in Northern Michigan. But his focus remains on a single mission: helping to build a food-secure Michigan, and ultimately, a food-secure nation.

red arrow pointing right

Do Better

Leadership & Culture

Work on Clear Vision and Values based around the six dimensions of food security and the priorities of your organization.

  • Ensure leaders consistently communicate the organization’s mission and values regarding the role they play in the bigger picture of food security, acknowledging the importance of each dimension.
  • Identify opportunities to collaborate with others doing adjacent parts of the work for cross-organizational learning and development.

 

Dignity

Use examples to show how agency matters in the model and how lack of sustainability and stability affect dignity.

  • Don’t just chase money, chase things that matter both now and later.
  • Focus on respect, dignity, and non-judgmental communication.

 

Program

Be proud of what you do and aware of what you don’t do.  Encourage getting beyond one’s own scope and appreciating others doing different but adjacent work.

  • Tell the stories of people served.
  • Have concrete examples of work in each dimension and why it is important.
  • Thank somebody who is committed to work that is adjacent but different than yours.

 

Operations

Strategic Enhancements

  • Improve cross-functional collaboration: Break down silos between departments that work on different dimensions of the food security model.
  • Train and empower staff: Well-trained employees make fewer mistakes and adapt faster to changes.

 

Advocacy

Communication Tactics

  • Tell Stories: Personal narratives are more persuasive than statistics alone. Share real-life examples that highlight the impact of your cause.
  • Know Your Audience: Adapt your tone and content to match their values. Policymakers respond to data; communities respond to personal impact.

Practice & Prepare: Rehearse your message, anticipate objections, and refine your delivery.