Report Finds Food Insecurity Highest Among Latinos in Rural Communities

UnidosUS, the nation's largest Latino civil rights and advocacy organization, and Knorr®, the largest food brand within Unilever, released a report examining hunger and food insecurity among Latinos living in rural communities. "Not Enough Food on the Dinner Table: A Look into Food Insecurity among Hispanics/Latinos Living in Rural Communities in the United States" reflects the findings of a mixed methods needs assessment among 16 community members and 23 community leaders throughout the country conducted between February and March 2022 that explored food insecurity and lack of nutritious meals in rural Latino communities.

The findings uncovered existing opportunities at the individual, community, organizational, and policy levels to address nutrition and food insecurity among Latinos living in rural areas, including.

• Latinos living in rural communities have higher rates of food insecurity

• Rural Latino communities often work on the farms that grow the nation's food, yet their living circumstances and geographic locations create barriers to accessing healthy foods and perpetuate a cycle of food insecurity

• Community leaders and members discussed the importance of culturally tailored food assistance programming

"Implementation of the proposed programmatic and policy recommendations outlined in our report has the potential to improve access to healthful food options," said Rita Carreón, Vice President for Health at UnidosUS. "Better access to culturally responsive and equitable options can improve dietary patterns and prevent, or delay, the onset of obesity and other chronic conditions among Latinos in rural communities. This will have a positive impact on our nation's economy and health."

UnidosUS and Knorr have been collaborating since 2020 and have a shared mission to ensure wholesome, nutritious food is accessible and affordable to all Americans. The brand funded the study to help gain valuable insights into the lives and needs of the Latino community living in rural areas.

"Knorr believes that delicious, nutritious food must be accessible to all, however, we recognize it is not a reality for everyone in our country, and particularly in rural areas where access is more limited," said Gina Kiroff, North America Marketing Lead for Knorr®. "As part of our mission as a brand, Knorr supports organizations and initiatives like UnidosUS in the hopes that through these efforts, we can together help find solutions to improve access to nutritious foods for Latinos living in rural areas and in food-insecure communities."

The report's programmatic and policy recommendations directly align with the recent White House Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health which outlines a national strategy to reach the bold goal of ending hunger in America by 2030.

The three programmatic recommendations from the UnidosUS report include:

• Strengthening nutrition education considering and respecting the context of Latinos living in rural communities;

• Strengthening nutritionrelated programming to improve engagement;

• Offering virtual education to address disparities related to access.

The four policy recommendations from the UnidosUS report include:

• Improving food security and food access for all Latinos;

• Improving access and enrollment to federal nutrition assistance programs;

• Improving food access and addressing barriers due to the built environment;

• Strengthening funding allocation to improve food security outcomes.

(En español, p. 19)