Food Insecurity

Rockefeller Foundation, American Heart Association, Instacart and Recipe4Health explore strategies for equitable access to nutrition, food as medicine

08-Nov-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

The potential for food as medicine to prevent, manage and treat diet-related diseases is tremendous, but consumer awareness of and access to it are still limited – prompting public health advocates, government leaders and stakeholders across the food...

Food remains an issue of concern globally as food insecurity persists, suggests survey

03-Nov-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Food insecurity persists as a major problem around the world. A survey conducted by Stack Data Strategy on behalf of campaign Hungry for Action shows that concerns about the ‘supply and price of food’ consistently remains a priority among the population...

Food insecurity climbs alongside inflation as federal nutrition assistance enhancements end

26-Oct-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

A notable uptick in food insecurity in the US in 2022 from the previous year is a “wake-up call” for federal and local governments to better fund and fully use federal nutrition assistance programs, all of which are at risk of being cut or restricted,...

Instacart expands online SNAP EBT acceptance nationwide as part of sweeping commitment to improve equitable access to nutritious food

10-Aug-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

Low-income consumers who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps, can now use their benefits to buy groceries online in all 50 states and Washington, DC, following Instacart’s launch at seven Safeway locations...

Feed by FarmboxRx supplies households affected by pandemic-era SNAP cuts with monthly nutritious meal boxes

09-Jun-2023 By Deniz Ataman

The application-based program will deliver two FarmboxRx packages for six months containing a variety of fresh produce and essential pantry items for 200 households. In addition, households will receive information to help them prepare nutritious meals,...

Biden Administration budget request includes boosts to food safety, nutrition programs

16-Mar-2023 By Lauren Nardella

President Biden’s FY 2024 budget request would increase funding for FDA and USDA and make investments in food safety and nutrition programs, but is far from a done deal given a divisive Congress.

Was USDA’s process for increasing SNAP benefits ‘marred’? GAO reveals shortcomings of Thrifty Food Plan review that could impact future assessments

05-Jan-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

The US Department of Agriculture’s decision this summer to increase the benefits allotted under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program well beyond inflation is under fire after a government watchdog found the agency did not follow best-practices...

Futureproofing the food system: How are food insecurity and health outcomes connected and what benefits do produce prescriptions, medically tailored meals and personalized nutrition offer?

21-Oct-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

Researchers are calling on clinicians and the healthcare system to screen for food insecurity and better promote food access programs after discovering that Americans with limited or uncertain access to adequate food is on the rise and they are more likely...

Food insecurity found to significantly increase risk of cardiovascular disease

07-Oct-2022 By Hank Schultz

Food insecurity raises the risk for almost all aspects of cardiovascular disease, new research from the University of Michigan has found.

News In Brief

The White House: ‘Millions of Americans are struggling with hunger … we cannot wait to act’

23-May-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

This fall, the White House will host a highly-anticipated and hard fought for second Conference on Food, Nutrition, Hunger and Health at the behest of a bipartisan nationwide grassroots movement led by Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) as part of an ambitious...

USDA undertakes ‘top to bottom assessment’ to identify, repair ‘supply chain-bottlenecks and vulnerabilities”

22-Apr-2021 By Elizabeth Crawford

The US Department of Agriculture is asking for help conducting a “top to bottom assessment” of the US food system in an effort to avoid the empty store shelves, food waste at farms and destruction for animals due to broken supply chains experienced in...

SNAP benefits temporarily expanded for families, higher education students impacted by pandemic

23-Mar-2021 By Elizabeth Crawford

The US Departments of Agriculture and Education are making it easier for Americans suffering food insecurity due to the pandemic to put food on the table by temporarily increasing and expanding Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits as part...

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: As food insecurity soars, Simply Organic funds innovative solutions

15-Mar-2021 By Elizabeth Crawford

Since the pandemic began, food insecurity in America has increased exponentially, and stakeholders across the value chain are stepping up to provide relief, including Simply Organic, which is giving $150,000 to five organizations that not only help put...

Faced with rising food insecurity, legislators & industry stakeholders consider expanding, tweaking aid

12-Mar-2021 By Elizabeth Crawford

With the pandemic’s impact on the economy and food insecurity in America expected to outlast the threat of the current coronavirus, stakeholders are calling on legislators to rethink how food and funds through nutrition programs are disbursed – changes...

Judge’s decision to block SNAP work requirements will help hundreds of thousands buy food

20-Oct-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

In a withering opinion published Sunday, a federal judge struck down a Final Rule pushed by the Trump administration that would have severely reduced or eliminated nutrition assistance to more than 1 million Americans during and after the pandemic.

PHA, PMA tackle food insecurity due to coronavirus with expanded Fresh Picks produce boxes

16-Oct-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

Partnership for a Healthier America and the Produce Marketing Association are expanding their COVID-19 Fresh Food Fund in a duel effort to ease food insecurity exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic and create a new market for produce that might otherwise...

Health advocates push for expanded nutrition assistance to ease record food insecurity, stimulate economy

04-Aug-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

As the ongoing coronavirus pandemic continues to drive up food prices alongside unemployment, food insecurity in the US is reaching new heights that far exceed those experienced during and since the Great Recession – spurring calls for increased government...

Universal free school meals could alleviate hunger for millions of children, financial strain on schools

31-Jul-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

Legislation proposed yesterday to provide all children free school meals not only would help feed the increasing number of children who face food insecurity due to the pandemic and associated economic downturn, but it would also ease financial strain...

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: Knorr’s three-prong approach to increase access to healthy, sustainable food

13-Dec-2019 By Elizabeth Crawford

The buzz around fresh, healthy and sustainable eating is so intense it is easy to think that everyone now eats this way – but the reality is the premium prices and extra time often needed to prepare these on-trend items place them out of reach of millions...

Farmers must be part of climate change solution, not stigmatized as problem, Rep. Pingree argues

12-Dec-2019 By Elizabeth Crawford

Agriculture accounts for approximately a quarter of annual greenhouse gas emissions, but rather than scapegoat farmers for climate change Rep. Chellie Pingree of Maine wants stakeholders across the supply chain, along with legislators and consumers, to...