Food insecurity report released
Hey savvy news reader! Thanks for choosing local.
You are now reading
1 of 3 free articles.
MONTANA — Montana Food Bank Network announces the release of Map the Meal Gap 2017, the latest report by Feeding America on food insecurity at the state and county level. Map the Meal Gap 2017 reveals that food insecurity exists in every county in the nation and across Montana. In Montana, the percentage of individuals living in food insecure homes ranges from 9.4 percent in McCone County to 20.9 percent in Glacier County.
While it is clear that we have significant work to do, the new figures show a notable decline in our statewide numbers. The report finds that thirteen percent of Montanans lived in homes that experience food insecurity, or the inability to access food in a consistent manner. This level is down from our previous rate of 13.6 percent and a peak of 14.9 percent in 2011, following the economic recession. In fact, 13.0 percent represents Montana’s lowest level of food insecurity since the first Map the Meal Gap report in 2009.
We are hopeful that this downward trend is a reflection of a strengthening economy and that we continue to see fewer Montanans struggling with hunger. We also recognize the hard work and collaboration between Montana’s hunger and poverty-fighting organizations, working together to meet the need for food while also addressing the root causes of hunger. In the meantime, we continue to concentrate on the nearly 134,000 Montanans, including 42,500 children that live in food insecure homes. Montana Food Bank Network and their network of nearly 150 agencies across the state are working to end hunger in Montana through direct food assistance, innovative programs such as Mail-a-Meal and Hunters Against Hunger, and by connecting households with public nutrition programs such as SNAP, School Meals, and Summer Food.
Map the Meal Gap 2017 uses data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and food price data and analysis provided by Nielsen, a global provider of information and insights. The study is supported by founding sponsor The Howard G. Buffett Foundation, Conagra Brands Foundation and Nielsen.
The Montana Food Bank Network, located at 5625 Expressway in Missoula, secures and distributes donated and low cost food to nearly 150 hunger relief agencies throughout Montana. The Network works to meet the immediate need for food while advocating at the local, state, and national level for policy changes to help eliminate hunger and food insecurity in Montana. The Montana Food Bank Network is a member of Feeding America. For more information about the Montana Food Bank Network, please visit www.mfbn.org.
