Food Insecurity in the Midwest

It is a common belief that the meaning of a food-insecure home is one where there often isn't any available food. However, the true definition is when one does not have consistent access to healthy, filling food, because of their location, the type of food available to them, or financial reasons.

Although many areas throughout the USA and the world suffer from food insecurity, studies and statistics have shown that midwestern states are suffering significantly more than other regions. According to the Food Research and Action Center, “households in rural areas experienced deeper struggles with hunger compared to those in metro areas (cities and suburbs). In 2022, 14.7 percent of households in rural areas experienced food insecurity compared to 12.5 percent of households in metro areas.” A main factor that contributes to this insecurity is the fact that many small towns in midwestern states don't have consistent access to fresh, healthy food. The majority have small, local grocery stores, meaning fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats aren't delivered daily like they are to larger chain supermarkets. This implies that numerous households contain an abundance of junk food as opposed to nourishing fruits and vegetables.

The epidemic that is food insecurity is a prevalent issue in our country today that must be addressed rather than ignored. Thousands of families suffer every day, while others take for granted how lucky they are to have nutritional, delicious food to eat every day. Fortunately, policies have been put in place to help contain the disastrous effects of food insecurity. Some of these policies are the National School Lunch Program (NSLP); the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program; and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); all of which address the barriers between people and families, and healthy, nutritional food.

Citations:

Anderson, Tim. “‘Truly Unifying Issue’: A Look at Food Insecurity and the Role States Play in Addressing It.” CSG Midwest, 14 Sept. 2023, 

csgmidwest.org/2023/09/08/truly-unifying-issue-a-look-at-food-insecurity-and-the-role-states-play-in-addressing-

it/#:~:text=Four%20Midwestern%20states%20%E2%80%94%20Iowa%2C%20Minnesota,the%20United%20States%20in%202021.%E2%80%9D. 

Accessed 24 Oct. 2023.

“Hunger & Poverty in America.” Food Research & Action Center, 25 Oct. 2023, frac.org/hunger-poverty-america. Accessed 24 Oct. 20

User, Super. “World Hunger.” World Hunger - Midwest Food Bank, www.midwestfoodbank.org/about-main/world-hunger. Accessed 25 Oct. 2023.