Rural Hunger
Rural households in the United States suffer from food insecurity—the statistical measurement of hunger or near-hunger—at greater rates that the rest of the nation. A number of factors, including unemployment, transportation barriers, and access to grocers, contribute to hunger in rural America. It is a sad reminder that hunger persists in our nation when so many people go hungry in the very communities where food is produced.
The Sources of Hunger in Rural Communities
Poverty and Unemployment
During the 1990s and into the 21st century, rural areas saw far less economic and earnings growth compared to cities and suburbs. Today, poverty and unemployment rates in rural communities surpass rates in metropolitan areas. Similarly, child poverty rates are higher in rural areas than in metropolitan areas. In addition, many rural people who work struggle to find a job that pays a living wage. Together, poverty and unemployment make it difficult for many rural households to put food on the table.
Access to Affordable Food
Because of low population densities in rural areas, grocery stores are sometimes dozens of miles away from people in need of food. And even when supermarkets in rural areas can be reached, their food prices are frequently higher than those in suburban area supermarkets, where competition is greater. Low-income households often end up redeeming food stamps or shopping at more expensive, smaller markets and convenience stores. Rural households also face special challenges in accessing food assistance programs for which they are eligible.
Transportation Barriers and Costs
For many rural households, the lack of dependable transportation puts social services and affordable food out of reach. To make matters worse, about half of rural counties, including the most isolated areas, have no public transportation system at all. Rural workers often travel further to jobs than their urban counterparts, and so already slim household budgets are eaten up by fuel and transportation costs.
Older Populations in Rural Communities
Rural areas have higher percentages of older Americans than metropolitan areas, and rural older Americans are more likely to be impoverished than older Americans living in urban centers. A lack of transportation and personal mobility prevents many rural older Americans from accessing food. Sadly too, fixed incomes can force older Americans to choose between paying for nutrition, household heat, and medicine. Finally, rural communities often have declining populations and tax bases, which make dollars for social programs even scarcer.
Policy Recommendations to Fight Rural Hunger
Improve Access to Food Stamps
The Food Stamp Program helps provide healthy food to more than 28 million people every month, but it does not reach all eligible people. In rural areas, the lack of access to food stamp offices and a challenging application process create barriers to this critical program. Congress and states should work to simplify the application process—online applications and exempting the value of a household’s vehicles from the food stamp resource limits can be especially useful in rural areas—and improve outreach to people who may be eligible.
Extend Tax Deductions
Meaningful tax incentives will help expand donations of food to the needy. The tax code should allow all business tax payers to deduct the fair market value of food that they donate. This deduction should reach not only large supermarkets, but also small businesses, restaurants, and especially ranchers and farmers. Without tax incentives, it is often more affordable for farmers to dump food than to donate it, and billions of pounds of food goes to waste every year. (Tax deductions for transportation services will also promote the distribution of food to rural areas. This deduction is especially important as fuel costs increase.)
Maintain Commodity Food Purchasing Programs
The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), a U.S. government program that provides food at no cost to low-income Americans in need of short-term hunger relief, is a critical lifeline for millions of people. This program aids people in need by purchasing commodity food products, such as dried beans, juice, grains, and canned vegetables, fruits, and meats (commodities), and distributing them to states and Indian Tribal Governments. In addition to aiding those in need, through commodity purchasing, TEFAP provides income to farmers and ranchers, the heart of rural economies. This program should be properly funded and extended.