Food Insecurity and its Impact on the Hispanic Community

Reports from the United States Department of Agriculture indicate higher levels of food scarcity among Hispanic households. Around 21% of Latino households experienced food insecurity in the year 2022, compared to 9.3% for white households. A food insecure household is a household that Click here to enter text. was uncertain of having or unable to acquire enough food to meet the needs of all their members at times during the year. This can be due to various factors such as insufficient money or other resources for food. More information from the USDA report can be found here. 

Latinos may struggle with food insecurity for a variety of reasons; however, many households lack food equality and face inequities in access to healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables. These areas with low food access are known as food deserts, or areas more than 2 miles or 15 minutes away from a grocery store. Often low-income households are faced with limited food options, which results from systemic barriers to healthy food and maintains the cycle of obesity, heart disease and diabetes. 

To reduce food insecurity and increase nutritional wellbeing of at-risk groups such as Latinos, there are a variety of federal programs that offer assistance. In the United States, food, and nutrition assistance ranges from child nutrition programs such as the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program, Summer Food Service Program, and After-School Snacks and Meals. Other programs include the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Plan (SNAP) which is the nation’s largest domestic food and nutrition assistance program for low-income Americans, and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) which benefits the health of low-income pregnant and postpartum women, infants, and children younger than 5 years who are at nutritional risk. These programs have been an excellent  help to Arizonans to get the support they need. To discover eligibility for these programs, visit the SNAP website here, or the WIC site here. 

Although the amount of food insecure households in the US is on the rise, especially among Latino households, increasing food equity and the availability of healthy foods is essential in improving the ability for these families to meet their basic nutritional needs. 

Additional Resources for Food and Nutrition Assistance in Arizona:

1. Nutrition Assistance from the Arizona Department of Economic Security can be found on their website here
2. Find a food bank, soup kitchen, or pantry near you on the Arizona Food Bank Network website here
3. 2-1-1 Arizona offers emergency food assistance information here