Dec. 12, 2019
2019 Missouri Hunger Atlas Shows Food Security Remains a Critical Issue
The latest edition of the Missouri Hunger Atlas, published by the Interdisciplinary Center for Food Security, reports the number of Missourians facing food insecurity has dropped to pre-Great Recessions levels. It is estimated that 865,000 Missourians are food insecure, a decline from three years ago when the issue affected 1 million Missourians. Still, access to nutritious food remains critical in many Missouri counties. The Missouri Hunger Atlas 2019 reports nearly one in seven individuals lacked reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food, with the most vulnerable populations including children and the elderly. “Three years ago we…
Jan. 7, 2016
MU to Host ‘Universities Fighting World Hunger Summit’
The 2016 Universities Fighting World Hunger Summit will take place on Feb 26 and 27 at the University of Missouri in Columbia. The theme this year is “From Poverty to Promise.” The summit will bring students, faculty, and professionals together to explore solutions to hunger at home and abroad. It will feature interactive sessions, renowned keynote speakers, and ample opportunities for networking and dialogue. Invited guests will lead discussions on the connections between food security and health, policy solutions to domestic hunger, and addressing issues of stigma in vulnerable populations, among others. Registration is now open. Go to the…
Sep. 9, 2013
New Missouri Hunger Atlas Raises Awareness of Extent, Depth of Hunger in Missouri
The Missouri Hunger Atlas 2013, recently released by the Interdisciplinary Center for Food Security, provides a county-by-county assessment of the extent of food insecurity in the state. The Atlas also measures the work of a host of public and private programs intended to help people struggling with hunger. First issued in 2008, the Missouri Hunger Atlas is now in it’s third edition and features updated county tables and rankings, indicator maps, and trend analyses. A new feature of the 2013 edition is a Food Affordability measure. This measure estimates the percent of income required each week by households to…
March 26, 2013
Poverty Summit Brings Together Advocates and Experts
The 2013 Poverty Summit, sponsored by Missourians to End Poverty, took place on April 9th in Jefferson City, Missouri. The summit provided an opportunity for organizations and advocates from across the state to network, learn from one another, and develop strategies for addressing poverty in Missouri. This year’s summit featured the notable Peter Edelman, author of So Rich So Poor: Why It’s So Hard to End Poverty in America, who discussed issues related to wealth disparities, unemployment, and the working poor. Other featured speakers included Eileen Wallace and Gene Nichol. More information about the summit can…
Jan. 15, 2013
Center Receives Grant to Expand Work with Food Pantries
The Missouri Foundation for Health recently awarded the Interdisciplinary Center for Food Security (ICFS) a five year, nearly $500,000 grant to expand nutrition related activities with food pantries in Missouri. With this grant, the Center will build upon its current Food Pantry Nutrition Project. “We are very honored to receive this grant and are excited by the opportunity it will provide to take this work to the next level,” said Bill McKelvey, project coordinator. A primary goal of the project is to help food pantries find ways to get healthier food into the hands of…
Oct. 16, 2012
World Food Day 2012
October 16 was World Food Day, sponsored by a host of government agencies and non-governmental organizations to raise awareness about hunger and malnutrition around the world. According to a recent report jointly published by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and the World Food Programme (WFP), approximately 870 million people, or one in eight, were suffering from chronic undernourishment in 2010 through 2012. The report notes that while the number of hungry people declined between 1990 and 2007, efforts to reduce hunger have slowed since 2007. The theme…
Oct. 2, 2012
Can these Minnesota ads reduce obesity?
Minnesotans have something new to watch on TV: Commercials encouraging them to reduce their weight. They are a part of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota’s latest campaign to reduce obesity rates. These ads haven’t been universally loved, drawing criticism from those who argue that people respond better to positive message about health and healthy eating rather than negative ones. The insurance company is defending the ads. The ads can be viewed in Ezra Klein’s Wonkblog post at the Washington Post.
Oct. 2, 2012
Catching up with the Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture
The Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture, a non-profit organization in Columbia, Missouri, has been working to expand fresh food options in central Columbia since 2008. The group began with a small demonstration garden and has grown to include a 1.3 acre urban farm, an on-site farm stand that accepts SNAP benefits, an Opportunity Gardens program (helping people install and maintain vegetable gardens at their homes), youth gardening education, a landscaping division, and more. The Columbia Daily Tribune recently caught up with the group just before their 3rd Annual Harvest Hootenanny Fundraiser. Read the rest of the story.
Oct. 2, 2012
NPR: Recession Still Hurting U.S. Families Trying To Put Food On The Table
A recent post on NPR’s food blog, The Salt, reported that “the number of U.S. families struggling to put enough food on the table remains at record-high levels.” This comes from new data released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The department estimates that approximately 14.9 percent of American households were food insecure in 2011. Of those 5.7 percent had very low food security, meaning that food intake by some household members was reduced or disrupted at times during the year. Food insecurity levels are nearly the same as in 2010 and have remained at this level since…