Volunteers collect items for the Northeast Arkansas Food Bank’s annual food drive in November 2022. (Courtesy of NEA Food Bank)
More than 567,000 Arkansas residents, 18.6% of the state’s total population, experience food insecurity and struggle to access healthy foods.
Arkansas had the second-highest food insecurity rate in the country in 2022, only surpassed by Mississippi by 0.2 percentage points. But this combination of the top two is not new: Arkansas has lagged behind Mississippi for the past decade, according to Feeding America data released in May.
Feeding America was founded as a national nonprofit in the 1960s and is part of a network that works with food banks and other meal assistance programs, including the Arkansas Food Bank. The nonprofit has been mapping food insecurity data down to the county level for more than a decade, with the latest information coming in 2022.
According to Feeding America, Arkansas’ food insecurity rates have been steadily increasing since 2020, hitting a five-year high in 2022. Arkansas has the second-highest child food insecurity rate in the nation, with nearly 1 in 4 children lacking access to healthy options.
“It’s heartbreaking,” said Brian Burton, CEO of the Arkansas Food Bank, “and I’m not surprised because of all the pressures and the economic situation. Inflation is really putting low-income families in a bind. They don’t have any respite.”
Burton said he thinks the rise in food insecurity rates could be related to rising food prices and the lack of additional assistance since the COVID-19 public health emergency ended.
“I believe our state is under-participating in public assistance programs,” Barton said. “We have one of the lowest participation rates in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and this is a self-inflicted harm.”
Last year, the Arkansas Legislature approved a bill that raised the asset limits for SNAP, commonly known as food stamps, from $2,250 to $6,000 for most households, a change that expanded eligibility for those in need but fell short of the original intended levels.
The bill originally sought to raise the limit to $12,000, but sponsor Sen. Jonathan Disman (R-Searcy) lowered it to improve its chances of approval. At the time, Disman said he thought $6,000 was too low and would discourage poor Arkansans from saving enough money to become financially stable.
Burton said SNAP’s asset limits are a roadblock for people, and he said he would like to see them removed entirely so they aren’t an obstacle for people trying to climb out of poverty.
The existing restrictions could be one reason why people who fall into Arkansas’ ALICE (asset-limited, income-limited, employment) population are ineligible for assistance. The ALICE population includes people whose income levels are too high to qualify for programs like SNAP but who still struggle to meet basic needs.
The Feeding America report is not limited to people below the federal poverty level, but also includes those who have limited access to healthy foods, and Burton said because the survey is self-reported, there could be more Arkansans who are food insecure than the 587,000 reported.
County Snapshot
Every county in Arkansas reported food insecurity rates above the national average of 13.5 percent, which Barton agreed shows the issue isn’t contingent on rural or urban conditions.
Searcy County, located in north-central Arkansas, reported the highest rate at 24.5%.
Giesel Treat, director of the Searcy County Senior Center, said she wasn’t surprised the county was ranked number one.
“It’s just sad,” Treat said. “Our county is poor.”
Treat said any resident over 60 years old can receive meals at the Marshall senior center, and a nutritionist on staff ensures meals are balanced and nutritious. Menu items include burgers, beef stroganoff, and vegetables and bread.
Treat said staff are delivering meals to about 70 Searcy County households through Meals on Wheels. Both hot and frozen meals are provided to people who meet the criteria for stay-at-home orders, meaning they are physically unable to feed themselves.
Burton, who has worked closely with people suffering from food insecurity for nearly 30 years, said the physical effects it can have are tangible.
“The tension, anxiety and stress that comes from constant worry ages people,” he said. “Years of poor diet and nutrition in people who don’t have enough money to buy healthy, expensive foods shorten their lifespan.”
Phillips County, located along the state’s eastern border, had the highest rate of food insecurity among children at 45.8 percent, according to Feeding America.
Burton said malnourished children are disproportionately affected in the classroom.
“They’re not as attentive, their bodies aren’t able to reach their potential and I think that’s harmful, especially in those earliest years when their bodies are developing,” he said.
Brian Burton, CEO of the Arkansas Food Bank
(John Sykes/Arkansas Advocate)
Feeding America also reported food insecurity rates for black, Hispanic and white Arkansans: 30%, 22% and 16%, respectively.
“One in three of our African-Americans suffer from food insecurity,” Burton said, “I would call this an epidemic. This isn’t just something that’s happened in the last year. I think this is the result of years, decades of people being marginalized, obstacles they have had to overcome, limited access to opportunities.”
Statewide Initiatives
There are no easy solutions to food insecurity, and Arkansas has many organizations and programs across the state that help residents access food, including the Arkansas Food Bank and its participating pantries.
“This is a complex problem, but we can all be part of the solution,” Barton said. “We can all donate to our local food banks and favorite charities who are doing heroic, life-changing work on the front lines.”
Arkansas farmers donate 240,000 pounds of rice to state food banks
Last September, the Arkansas Rice Association donated 240,000 pounds of rice to the Arkansas Food Bank, and in November, Arkansas State University announced it was joining the fight against hunger, partnering with Arkansas Hunters Feeding the Hungry to provide beef jerky snacks to school children.
The Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance, a prominent food relief nonprofit, tackles hunger by promoting nutrition education, securing funding, increasing participation in out-of-school meals and advocating for food policy.
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced in January that the state would participate in a federal food assistance program called “Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer,” which provides food assistance to student families while school is out, starting in June.
“That’s a bright spot on the horizon,” Burton said. “It’s our own business.” [U.S.] Senator John Boozman was instrumental in bringing this about. … This is a brand new program that could bring in tens of millions of dollars for the state if everyone participates.”
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