By Louis Martin, RCAC staff writer

fresh vegetable cupsThe Urban Institute published a sweeping study on the numbers, and locations, of Americans lacking access to an adequate diet. The Walmart Foundation funded the study, titled “Disrupting Food Insecurity.” A key insight into its findings were that many rural regions have dramatic differences in food insecurity from region to region.

The study includes strategies that communities could pursue to combat food insecurity. It urged community stakeholders to “break out of their silos” with ideas such as hospitals that can organize food drives. It also stressed the importance of maximizing access to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs and child nutrition programs in schools.

The study also examined the interconnected nature of access to food with access to transportation and healthcare. It cited schools that have summer meal programs, but inadequate school transportation to allow students to access them.

You can read the full report here: https://apps.urban.org/features/disrupting-food-insecurity/index.html