Gina Cornia: Utah must take action to address food insecurity

We at Utahns Against Hunger often point out that one in 10 Utah households, families and individuals experience food insecurity, but it can be hard to convey just how many parts of our lives can overlap with food insecurity.

If you are struggling to afford your housing, you are probably also struggling to afford enough food. Missed meals spill over into affecting your mental health and the academic outcomes of your children. Fighting food insecurity takes a broad partnership of communities, governments, and independent agencies each bringing their own experience and expertise.

Utah can make great strides in the right direction. The Food Security Task Force, created last year by legislation sponsored by Utah state Sen. Luz Escamilla, identified nine state-level opportunities to dismantle the barriers faced by Utahns with limited access to food. While many of these recommendations targeted acute challenges facing food insecure Utahns today — eliminating the state sales tax on food, making daycare more accessible, increasing the eligibility thresholds of public assistance programs — the report also emphasize the need to examine the root causes of food insecurity and coordinate statewide efforts to address food insecurity by providing direction and funding to the existing State Nutrition Action Coalition.

This year, Escamilla has introduced a bill to do exactly that — SB133 Food Security Amendments. This bill formalizes an existing relationship between many different stakeholders and ensures a forum for new approaches and pressing concerns. Or rather, it would, were it to move through the legislative process. Even though it furthers the important work of a statewide plan to combat food insecurity, SB133 languishes in wait for a hearing in the Senate Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee.

We know that state leaders recognize that food insecurity is an issue that demands attention, so why is a bill making clear steps towards addressing it tripped up by procedural hurdles halfway through the legislative session?

Last weekend leaders in our state appeared in a video talking about the importance of addressing childhood hunger. Similarly, the efforts of Farmers Feeding Utah, an initiative founded by the Utah Farm Bureau and partnering with Utah State University extension, to distribute food to military families was recognized earlier this week in both legislative chambers. The work they do is an innovative approach that benefits not only Utah agriculture, but also those in our community who need access to healthy food. The passage of SB 133 brings this innovation and other ideas to the table in the critical fight against food insecurity.

Passing SB133 Food Security Amendments is the first step to finding and implementing solutions that can reduce the number of Utahns who face trying to figure out how to feed themselves and their family. Funding and giving direction to the State Nutrition Action Coalition demonstrates a commitment to identify the challenges, barriers, and solutions to food insecurity.

There has been an effort to recognize and include the diverse communities impacted by this issue. The Coalition is in place — codifying it and providing funding will provide capacity and increased accountability. SB133 deserves a hearing — it is time for Utah to demonstrate that they care about finding solutions to food insecurity on both the public and community levels.

Investing in strategies and solutions to reduce food security should be a top priority, not just at the Utah Legislature, but in the governor’s office, and every community throughout the state.

Gina Cornia is executive director of Utahns Against Hunger.