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Hunger in Missouri
| Special Reports | Missouri is blessed to be in the middle of America’s Heartland – the most advanced agricultural region in the world – but we still struggle to feed everyone. One of the first steps to solving the problem is to understand the prevalence of hunger in Missouri. Through these resources, you will see that hunger in our state is not limited to a geographical region, age, race, or socioeconomic status. The more you know, the more you can help! |
| Every two
years, the University of Missouri produces the “Hunger Atlas,” which
examines the level of hunger in Missouri and the effectiveness of
various public programs in addressing the problem. This report is a
valuable tool in assessing the need in Missouri. Additional Information: Missouri Report (1.4 mb file) |
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"According to the US
Department of Agriculture, 15.8 percent of Missouri’s nearly six
million residents were food insecure in 2008. This suggests that
934,034 residents faced uncertainty in acquiring sufficient food for
their household. Further, the USDA estimates that 5.8 percent of the
population, or roughly 344,000 Missourians, had ―very low food
security‖ (formerly ―food insecure with hunger‖) in 2008, suggesting
they experienced hunger. Trends in food insecurity and hunger are
not positive ones for our state, as current averages for both
measures have continuously increased over the first decade of this
century. Public spending on hunger programs (e.g., SNAP/Food Stamps)
totaled more than 1.4 billion dollars in 2008. The Missouri Hunger
Atlas 2010 is a collaborative effort of University of Missouri
faculty to document, at the county-level, the breadth and extent of
hunger need, and the performance of public and private programs in
meeting that need." From the
Executive Summary Read the complete report Updated Hunger Atlas |
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Childhood hunger
continues to be a very serious problem in Missouri. Last year,
Missouri’s food banks served nearly 1 million people. Nearly 40%
were children under 18-years-old and 10% were five or under. You can
find out more about childhood hunger by reading these reports:
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The complexity of Missouri’s hunger problem requires both public and private solutions. The federal government has a series of programs available, but they only meet a portion of the need. The Food Research and Action Center has issued a report outlining who is hungry in Missouri and the impact of government programs in addressing the problem. Report |
