Hunger/Food/Nutrition / Public News Service

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service, Mississippi has the highest rates of food insecurity in the nation. (Katerina Holmes/Pexels)

Thursday, February 6, 2025

MS families face hardship as state rejects federal summer food aid again

Mississippi families struggling with food insecurity are bracing for another difficult summer after state officials declined millions in federal fundi…

According to the nonprofit Feeding Texas, one in six households in the state are food insecure. (Stella/Adobe Stock)

Wednesday, February 5, 2025

$450 million available to feed Texas kids this summer

The final deadline is approaching for members of the Texas Legislature to decide on participating in the Summer EBT program, which provides grocery …

Proponents of factory farms argued moving millions of livestock off pastures and into high-density operations, where in many cases animals cannot even move around, conserves valuable farmland. (Adobe Stock).

Wednesday, February 5, 2025

Factory farm advocates’ blind spot on food system reforms

Recent editorials in The New York Times and Washington Post defending factory farms make one critical mistake, according to environmental advocates: …

Nearly half of U.S. adults said it was at least somewhat hard for them to regularly obtain and eat nutritious foods, and 54% agreed the nation is not making enough progress in making nutritious food accessible and affordable, according to a 2024 survey from Research!America and the American Heart Association. (Adobe Stock)

Tuesday, February 4, 2025

Revive SNAP Stretch, WV growers, consumers urge

Food advocates are calling on lawmakers to help jump-start the state's SNAP Stretch program, which was paused last year due to budget constraints…

Iowa is home to more than 25 million pigs, making it the largest pork producer in the United States. (Adobe Stock)

Monday, February 3, 2025

Watchdog group asks lawmakers for more Iowa CAFO oversight

Environmental advocates in Iowa want state lawmakers to tighten regulations on large livestock feeding facilities, which they say will help protect …

Community action agencies are celebrating 50 years of the Earned Income Tax Credit. On average, eligible taxpayers received $2,743 from the credit in tax year 2023, according to the Internal Revenue Service. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Monday, February 3, 2025

Expanded tax credits, free tax service help MA families get ahead

Community action agencies in Massachusetts called the state's expanded tax credits "powerful antipoverty tools" and they are offering free tax prep se…

According to Feeding Indiana's Hungry, seven in 10 Hoosiers have skipped meals in the past year. (Adobe stock)

Hoosier pork program helps tackles hunger

Indiana farmers are helping food pantries meet rising demand for protein. The program helping meet the moment is not new; however, it is being …

In 2022, Ohio's WIC program served an average of 160,145 participants per month, including 38,097 women, 40,358 infants and 81,690 children. (Adobe Stock)

WIC benefits in Ohio unaffected, but federal spending review sparks concern

The White House has rescinded a directive that froze federal grants and loans after a federal judge ruled it unlawful. While the freeze was lifted…

More than half of all Americans will use SNAP benefits at least once in their lifetime. (Tada Images/Adobe Stock)

Oregon SNAP users no longer protected from theft

People who receive food benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will no longer be reimbursed if their benefits are stolen…

We Don't Waste serves more than 100 hunger relief organizations across Denver, and has so far saved 220 million servings of food. (Galatas)

Denver nonprofit tackles food waste, hunger

By Taylor Haelterman for Triple Pundit.Broadcast version by Eric Galatas for Colorado News Connection reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-P…

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey warned any freeze of federal funding would be

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MA educators cite chaos, fear following Trump’s directives

Massachusetts educators say President Donald Trump's threat to pause all federal grant programs has created instability for schools and their students…

Consumers overwhelmingly believe the claim

Advocates want more oversight for 'humane' meat label

By Jessica Scott-Reid for Sentient.Broadcast version by Alex Gonzalez for Nevada News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collabora…

In 2023, Roadrunner Food Bank distributed more than 46 million pounds of food to communities in New Mexico. (Photo courtesy of Roadrunner)

NM's 'Souper Bowl' returns to raise money for neighbors in need

The Chiefs are back in this year's Super Bowl but first, the chefs are back for Albuquerque's annual "Souper Bowl." Roadrunner Food Bank will open …

Advocates called on lawmakers at the Oregon State Capitol to pass Food for All Oregonians, Senate Bill 611, this legislative session. (Oregon Food Bank)

New bill would extend food benefits to undocumented Oregonians

In the face of rising hunger across the state of Oregon, new legislation would extend food assistance benefits to undocumented children and older …

In 2022, 393 people were hospitalized after consuming baked goods containing tara flour, which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration declared unsafe in 2024, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. (Adobe Stock)

Montana bill seeks state panel on food safety

Research shows toxic additives have been overlooked in the U.S. food supply, though the federal Food and Drug Administration is charged with …

The average Colorado feedlot now holds 13,000 cattle. (Adobe Stock)

Map spotlights drinking water risks of CO factory farms

Some one million cattle confined in Colorado factory feedlots produce 24 billion pounds of manure each year. That's four times the amount of feces …

The Episcopal Health Foundation in Texas wants to change the conversation and reshape the debate around health care to focus on the nonmedical drivers of health. (LIGHTFIELD STUDIOS/Adobe Stock)

TX lawmakers urged to make healthy living a priority during legislative session

The Episcopal Health Foundation wants Texas lawmakers to make health a priority during this legislative session. The nonprofit focuses on the …

Factory farms are responsible for between 11% and 20% of global greenhouse emissions, according to the group World Animal Protection. (By Larry Rana-USDA, Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons)<br />

UN Green Climate Fund invests in KY factory farming, report finds

By Sophie Kevany for Sentient.Broadcast version by Nadia Ramlagan for Kentucky News Connection reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collabor…

Free lunch, breakfast could soon come to all VA students

Free school lunch and breakfast may soon be the law in the Commonwealth. House Bill 1958 would require local school boards to participate in federal …

Under the Agricultural Water Optimization Program, the maximum grant amount for irrigation/canal companies is $1,000,000, according to the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food. (Adobe Stock)

Utah program incentivizes farmers to optimize water use

A Utah grant program is aiming to incentivize farmers to optimize their water use. Historically, Utah agriculture has accounted for up to 80% of the …

Ohio has the eighth-highest number of children that are covered by Medicaid in small towns and rural communities nationally. (IB Photography/Adobe Stock)

Ohio faces health care challenges as Medicaid funding wavers

As Congress debates potential cuts to Medicaid, a new report from Georgetown University sheds light on how these changes could disproportionately …

The population of Kane County, Illinois, is about 500,000. Reducing rotting food in landfills will help the county achieve its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 25% below 2019 levels by 2030. (Adobe Stock)

Kane County uses $500,000 grant to reduce food waste

Kane County officials plan to launch four composting programs at large-scale facilities to reduce food waste, as part of meeting the county's climate …

Opponents of genetically engineered fish say if they escaped into the wild, they could bring disease and competition to the 25% of freshwater fish, including Atlantic salmon, already at risk of extinction. (Adobe Stock)

MA company ends production of genetically modified Atlantic salmon

Conservation groups are celebrating the end of a Massachusetts-based biotech company's pursuit of bringing genetically altered Atlantic salmon to mark…

President-elect Trump's pick to head the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., is a fan of raw milk, which can contain dangerous pathogens and spread zoonotic diseases, like avian flu. (Adobe Stock)

Cabinet nominees push deregulation of America's food systems

By Seth Millstein for Sentient.Broadcast version by Kathryn Carley for Maine News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collaboration…

Climate change threatens many New Mexico crops, including chiles, onions, garlic and pecans. (TatianaEvdokimova/Adobe Stock)

Stakes high for New Mexico ag growers awaiting new farm bill

Experts agree climate-smart agriculture will be critical in the fight against climate change. But with a divided Congress and no update to the Farm …

Ohio is the nation's fifth-largest producer of soybeans and corn, making agricultural policies like the Farm Bill critical for its economy. (JJ Gouin/Adobe Stock)

Ohio farmers navigate uncertainty amid Farm Bill delays

By Seth Millstein for Sentient.Broadcast version by Farah Siddiqi for Ohio News Connection reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collaboratio…

According to a survey by the Veganuary organization, 81% of participants who took the survey maintained a dramatic reduction in their animal product consumption after six months. (Iuliia Metkalova/Adobe Stock)

'Veganuary' challenge continues to see growth in 2025

By Jessica Scott-Reid for Sentient.Broadcast version by Suzanne Potter for California News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Coll…

In recent years, the meat industry took out full-page ads in newspapers, and placed a $5 million Super Bowl commercial, claiming that meat is

How 'big meat' worked to rebrand in 2024 using disinformation

By Jessica Scott-Reid for Sentient.Broadcast version by Nadia Ramlagan for West Virginia News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service C…

Volunteer Hector Silva of Hunger Action Los Angeles prepares burritos for distribution to fire victims in Pasadena, Calif. (Sara Donis)

Anti-hunger groups tackle increased need during the L.A. fires

Food donations are pouring in to help victims of the Los Angeles fires, to the point donors are being asked to hold off a bit so it can all be …

Along South Dakota's Rosebud Reservation, Sicangu Co. members Mayce Low Dog and Karen Moore harvest local plants. (Photo courtesy of Grace Hussain)

For SD tribe, food sovereignty means eating climate-friendly

By Grace Hussain for Sentient.Broadcast version by Mike Moen for Greater Dakota News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collaborat…

If confirmed, Brooke Rollins will direct the U.S. Department of Agriculture and its 100,000 employees, running on an annual budget of $437 billion. (Adobe Stock)

Texan tapped as ag secretary in upcoming Trump administration

By Dawn Attride for Sentient.Broadcast version by Freda Ross for Texas News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collaboration Pres…

CalFood is a program of the California Department of Social Services that allows food banks to purchase California-grown and produced foods to augment donations. (Nadianb/Adobe Stock)

Hunger-fighting groups try to prevent cuts to CA food-bank funding

Groups working to fight hunger in California are calling on Gov. Gavin Newsom to protect funding for the CalFood program in his initial budget …

Alabama's maternal mortality rate is 36.4 deaths per 100,000 live births, which is more than double the national average of 17.4. (Adobe Stock)

Alabama Arise prepares to tackle poverty, health issues in 2025

With the 2025 legislative session around the corner, the nonprofit advocacy group Alabama Arise said it plans to take aim at poverty and systemic …

About 34% of Detroit residents do not own a vehicle, making access to healthy food sources more challenging. (Chris Ahern Photo/Adobe Stock)

A Detroit nonprofit leads the way to building sustainable food systems

A Detroit nonprofit said it is helping people in the city reclaim control over the food they eat from where it is grown to where they buy it…

Organic farmers often earn more for their products and pay less to grow them. (Tinashe Njaku/peopleimages.com/Adobe Stock)

‘Historic’ support available for OR farmers going organic

New funding is making it easier than ever for Oregon farmers to become certified organic. To achieve certification, farmers must go three years …

Trace Company's report says Indiana farms lose nearly $30 million, or $552 per farm every year from natural disasters. (Adobe Stock)

Natural disasters cost IN farmers millions in crop, cattle damage

Consumers are unhappy with increasing food prices and blame inflation. In reality, natural disasters have a direct link to grocery costs, and no end …

Congress's latest one-year Farm Bill extension provides $20 billion in funding for federal farm programs and $10 billion in direct economic relief to farmers. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Trump administration could tackle corporate food system, help farmers

As inflation and falling crop prices continue to affect farmers, their advocates say the incoming Trump administration could take steps to reform the …

The Farm Bill extension is in effect through Sept. 30, 2025, and includes nearly $31 billion in economic and disaster aid for farmers. (Adobe Stock)<br />

For WI farmers, Farm Bill extension brings relief, uncertainty

Farmers in Wisconsin may be breathing a sigh of relief going into the new year with the farm bill extension but it may be temporary, as experts said …

Opah are often caught as incidental catch alongside tuna. (NOAA/Flickr)

When bycatch is on the menu

By Leilani Marie Labong for FoodPrint.Broadcast version by Suzanne Potter for California News Service reporting for the FoodPrint-Public News Service …

Many federal conservation programs received a boost in funding from the Inflation Reduction Act, one of the largest investments in climate Congress has made in the nation's history. (Adobe Stock)

Southwest WI farmer unfazed by weather due to conservation practices

A diverse group of Southwest Wisconsin farmers are using federally funded conservation programs to help improve their farms' soil health and resilienc…

The State of Illinois Department on Aging predicts by 2030, adults age 60 and older will be 25% of the state's population. (Adobe Stock)

Volunteers vital for meal delivery to older IL residents

As the new year approaches, people often make resolutions to donate money to a charity. Donating one's time as a volunteer is an option that …

New Mexico joined more than a dozen other states in 2023 offering child tax credits meant to boost economic security. (courtesy New Mexico Voices for Children)

Report: Tax credits shrink poverty for NM's kids, families

Child tax credits offer a financial lifeline to parents and can lift children out of poverty, according to a report from New Mexico's Voices for …

According to a 2021 report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 44 counties in the United States had no grocery stores in 2015; 40 of them were in rural settings. (Adobe Stock)

The ups and downs of combating rural grocery deserts in ND

Several rural communities across North Dakota are strategizing how to slow the pace of local grocery stores shutting down. Some are making use of …

New Hampshire's roughly 4,000 farms support more than 20,000 jobs and provide an economic value of $1.2 billion dollars through direct product sales, labor and agritourism, according to the University of New Hampshire. (Adobe Stock)

NH farmers brace for Trump tariffs as farm income declines

New Hampshire's farming community is bracing for potential fallout from President-elect Donald Trump's proposed tariffs. Agricultural goods were a …

Colorado's San Luis Valley produces two billion pounds of potatoes a year, the second largest yield in the nation. (Adobe Stock)

Colorado’s new tool for preserving aquifers for farming

By Jennifer Oldham for Civil Eats.Broadcast version by Eric Galatas for Colorado News Connection reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Public…

Nearly two in five students experienced food insecurity in a survey of Washington state postsecondary students. (Mauricio Toro/Adobe Stock)

Hunger concerns on WA postsecondary campuses as holidays approach

Hunger is an issue for many students on Washington state's postsecondary campuses this holiday season. A survey of nearly 10,000 students in …

The Healey-Driscoll Administration has announced $3.6 million in more than 100 grant awards through several programs, including the Cranberry Bog Renovation Grant Program, which aims to improve bog design and reduce negative environmental impacts from cranberry production. (Adobe Stock)

MA state grants boost rural economies, climate resilience

Rural communities across Massachusetts are benefiting from state grants aimed at strengthening the local food supply and building climate resilience…

A coalition pushing for universal school meals in North Dakota says nearly half of food-insecure children do not qualify for federal nutrition programs, leaving thousands without access to free breakfast and lunch at school. (Adobe Stock)

Food insecurity prompts ND advocates to eye universal school meals

North Dakota is expected to rejoin the debate over whether all school children, regardless of their family income, should have access to no-cost …

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