People often think that food insecurity isn’t a pressing issue in the United States. There is a misconception that hunger only affects developing countries, when in reality families here struggle to put food on the table. During the pandemic, 10.5% of all households in the U.S. reported being food insecure. In households with children, that number is closer to 15%. In total, 38.3 million people experienced food insecurity in 2020 country-wide.

During the 2021 legislative session, the Utah Food Security Task Force came together to combat food insecurity. Now, new amendments this legislative session aim to continue helping those in need of affordable and nutritious food.

What is Food Insecurity?

Food insecurity is when an individual or household does not have consistent access to nutritious food. In Utah, one out of ten households experience food insecurity. Communities of color experience food insecurity at higher rates. 21.7% of Black and Non-Hispanic households experience food insecurity in Utah, while 17.2% of Hispanic households are food insecure. Out of the 977,000 households in Utah, more than 102,000 households do not have access to healthy food options.

Studies show that children who are food insecure are more likely to develop anemia, have a harder time in school and are more likely to experience anxiety and depression than their peers who are food secure. Healthcare costs for food insecure people are often higher as well, putting more strain on the households affected.

What is Utah Doing?

The new amendments on Senate Bill 133 will outline who should be on the task force — including heads of nonprofits, members of the health department and department of workforce services and the head of education. The new bill will also allocate funding to staffing, research and outreach. The legislature has set aside $75,000 for the food security task force. While the amount may seem small, this funding will make a huge difference. Currently, the task force is entirely volunteer-led. Securing funding would fund dedicated staff and food security research.

Food Security for Utahns Against Hunger advocate Alex Cragun said, “We’re really excited to see this legislation come and what the goal would be eventually is to continue that atmosphere of collaboration in the spirit of doing the coordinated work on outreach education, but also to provide policy recommendations to lawmakers on ways to eliminate barriers to access to food and outreach programs.”

As well as funding, the amendments will also help secure federal funding for local pantries and organizations relating to food security. Last year, the task force put out a list of policy recommendations to help ease the effects of food insecurity. On top of the task force amendments, a bill proposing to end food sales tax is also being introduced this session. These bills have a good chance of passing, since issues of food security are often viewed as a bipartisan issue. The original Food Security Task force bill passed with bipartisan support last year.

Over the past two years, addressing food insecurity has become more important than ever. The pandemic has exacerbated food insecurity in Utah. In counties such as San Juan and Garfield, the food insecurity rate can be upwards of 20%. By addressing food insecurity, we can create a healthier, more stable Utah. Studies have shown in areas that are food secure, there is substantial economic growth, not to mention lower poverty rates. Addressing food insecurity also reduces a community’s risk for chronic conditions such as diabetes and obesity. Overall, a healthy community is one with access to affordable, nutritious food.

The proposed amendments to the current task force will benefit many Utah households. Being food secure isn’t something anyone should have to worry about. The funding provided on the federal and state level will help expand existing programs and create new ones, helping Utahns in the process. S.B. 133 is a step forward in the fight for food security.

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