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Rural Hunger and Access to Healthy Food – Resources

Selected recent or important resources focusing on Rural Hunger and Access to Healthy Food.

U.S. Population Subgroups See Changes in Food Insecurity from 2019 to 2020 While Overall Rate Remains the Same
Chart comparing 2019 and 2020 data on the prevalence of food insecurity broken down by household composition, race/ethnicity, household income-to-poverty ratio, metro and nonmetro residence, and geographic region based on data from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, and the Current Population Survey Food Security Supplement.
Date: 12/2021
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Rural Counties Losing Share of Grocery Stores, Gaining Other Types of Food Retailers
Reports on changes in the rural food retail landscape in the 48 contiguous states from 1990 to 2015 using National Establishment Time Series data. Describes the distribution of different types of stores in nonmetro counties, including single-location grocery stores, chain stores, and dollar stores.
Author(s): Alexander Stevens
Citation: Amber Waves
Date: 12/2021
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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USDA's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Contributed to Rural Economic Output, Jobs Following the Great Recession
Reports on the economic impacts of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in rural areas from 2009-2014 based on data from the USDA and U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Economic Analysis. Discusses job creation, household spending, and food-sector investments.
Author(s): Cristina Miller, Katherine Ralston, Stephen Vogel
Citation: Amber Waves
Date: 12/2021
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Rural Counties Losing All Types of Grocery Stores Except National Chains
Line chart showing the change in numbers and types of grocery stores in rural counties between 1990 and 2015, representing national chains, regional chains, local chains, and single location retailers.
Date: 12/2021
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Persistent Gaps in SNAP Benefit Adequacy across the Rural-Urban Continuum
Report examining gaps in the adequacy of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to cover the cost of a meal across the rural-urban continuum using the USDA's Rural-Urban Continuum Codes (RUCCs). Discusses characteristics of the counties with the largest gaps and addresses the policy implications of the 2021 Thrifty Food Plan (TFP) update to SNAP.
Author(s): Olivia Fiol, Elaine Waxman, Craig Gunderson
Date: 11/2021
Sponsoring organization: Urban Institute
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The State of Nutrition in America 2021
Video of testimony presented to the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry on Nov. 2, 2021. Discusses nutrition insecurity, nutrition-related health conditions, and diet-related disease, including ways in which this affects those who are low-income, rural, American Indians and Alaska Natives, and other racial or ethnic minorities. Includes links for transcripts.
Additional links: Testimony by Angela Odoms-Young, Cornell University, Testimony by Angela Rachidi, American Enterprise Institute, Testimony by Dariush Mozaffarian, Tufts School of Medicine, Testimony by Donald Warne, University of North Dakota, Testimony by Patrick Stover, Texas A&M University
Author(s): Dariush Mozaffarian, Angela Odoms-Young, Donald Warne, Patrick Stover, Angela Rachidi
Date: 11/2021
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry
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Rural Communities Leading the Way: Introducing Local Foods to Meal Service
Discusses how 3 rural communities utilize local food procurement strategies to provide for school meals. Includes approaches to overcome food insecurity, invest in local food economies, and provide educational opportunities for students related to agriculture and science.
Date: 10/2021
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
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Longitudinal Analysis of Neighborhood Food Environment and Diabetes Risk in the Veterans Administration Diabetes Risk Cohort
Results of a study examining the association between neighborhood food environment and risk of type 2 diabetes across communities, with breakdowns by high-density urban, low-density urban, suburban, and rural locations. Features statistics including characteristics of the diabetes risk cohort, and incidence of type 2 diabetes by demographic characteristics, overall and by community type.
Author(s): Rania Kanchi, Priscilla Lopez, Pasquale E. Rummo, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 4(10)
Date: 10/2021
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Impact of USDA's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) on Rural and Urban Economies in the Aftermath of the Great Recession
Reports on the effects of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit spending on employment, output, and household incomes between 2009-2014. Describes the different impacts of SNAP benefit outlays on urban and rural economies.
Additional links: Report Summary
Author(s): Stephen Vogel, Cristina Miller, Katherine Ralston
Date: 10/2021
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Super Stores' Impact on the Availability of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Approved Stores
Examines the effect of new super stores on the survival of existing traditional stores and the cost savings accruing to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) beneficiaries. Features statistics including SNAP redemptions and share of redemptions by store type from 1992–2017, and impact of super store entry on the number of SNAP-approved stores with breakdowns by urban and rural areas.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Author(s): Michael Ollinger, Michele Ver Ploeg, Chris Dicken
Date: 06/2021
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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