The COVID-19 pandemic has led to increased food insecurity within Indigenous communities nationwide according to a recent report released by Native American Agriculture Fund, Food Research & Action Center and Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative titled, Reimagining Hunger Responses in Times of Crisis: Insights from Case Examples and a Survey of Native Communities’ Food Access During COVID-19.

The pandemic has delayed transportation, processing, and packaging times worldwide, gravely impacting the food supply chain. Also Tribal producers are often restricted from selling into food commodity programs, which exacerbates the pandemic related difficulties of getting food into Native American and Alaska Native communities.

Both the delays in the food supply chain and the inability to access food community programs means that food must be shipped from across country to reach these communities. Thus, many Indigenous rural communities do not receive food until after it has already spoiled. As a result, nearly half of the Indigenous individuals surveyed in this report expressed that their household frequently did not have enough food during the pandemic. Over one-third of respondents reported skipping meals or lessening portion sizes to make food last longer in their households.

In a recent press release, Erin Parker, the director of the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative, gave insight as to what could and should be done to alleviate food insecurity in these Indigenous communities as she stated, “Lawmakers must invest in supporting and empowering Tribal governments as they express their inherent sovereignty in the space of food and agriculture.” Parker also stressed the importance of prioritizing data collection surrounding Native food systems and food security.

To read the full story, go here: https://dailyyonder.com/report-covid-19-pandemic-increased-food-insecurity-among-indigenous-communities-in-the-u-s/2022/01/04/