Riley T. Smith: Ending hunger should be Utah’s next social mobilization

Hunger in the state of Utah is more widespread than ever, as approximately 410,000 Utahns are unsure of where to get their next meal, according to a recent Salt Lake Tribune article.

The injustice of starvation is deeply rooted in a variety of causes, many of which have occurred over hundreds of years, civilizations and generations of people. These root causes can include developmentalism, industrialism, linear growth and racism.

Let’s use one of Utah’s most fertile counties, Cache County, as an example. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Cache County maintains a food insecurity rate between 14.2% and 15.1% of individuals.

While Cache County is in line with many national statistics regarding food insecurity, it is significantly higher when compared to neighboring Box Elder County, which has a food insecurity rate of 11% to 12.6%. Cache County has an 83.2% white population, 45,693 housing units and 0.008 square miles per person. Box Elder County is 86.7% white, has 20,118 housing units and 0.112 square miles per person. There are clear parallels between food insecurity and the development of land, housing and race.

One solution to the food crisis in Utah is to create a food sovereign system. Food sovereignty is defined by an international farmers’ organization, which states that “food sovereignty is the right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods, and their right to define their own food and agriculture systems.”

This particular solution is just one of countless we could implement. Regardless of the solution, the action toward ending hunger is the greater issue. In order to move forward, we must begin a social movement within this state.

Social movements are grassroots efforts that culminate from the exhaustive work of those passionate about seeing change. Such efforts have culminated in women’s suffrage, civil rights and, recently, the Black Lives Matter movement. Yet, there are countless social movements that achieve little or no progress. A key difference between success and failure is loud, active and inspiring leadership.

For generating food sovereignty in Utah, such a movement could be a significant benefit to implementing new societal norms, such as an increase in new farmers, a greater condensing of housing (thereby freeing land for agricultural use), growing more produce and raising fewer animals for consumption. Such solutions, while necessary in implementation within our policy and economic structures, may be even more important to be accepted within our larger society, or else the economic and policy changes could have little effect.

Regarding fighting hunger in Utah, we have many leaders who’ve stepped up. Specifically, the Utahns Against Hunger nonprofit group has worked with Utah state Sen. Luz Escamilla to address food insecurity during the 2022 legislative session. Utahns Against Hunger lobbied both legislators and the recently created Food Security Task Force to include one of nine proposed recommendations in the task force’s final report.

In addition, the Legislature appropriated an additional $75,000 of state funding to the Utah State University Cooperative Extension, which will “coordinate statewide efforts to address food security” and “promote programs and activities that contribute to healthy eating and active lifestyles.”

But this isn’t enough. In this example, only one of nine proposals made by Utahns Against Hunger was included in the final task force report, which is an 11% success rate.

Yet, there is hope. There are countless nonprofits and groups wanting to feed the state of Utah. Utahns Against Hunger alone has been able to “help efforts to oppose reinstating the sales tax on food” and “help secure and protect $1.3 million in funding for emergency food pantries.” Such efforts are making an impact.

I am calling on the citizens of Utah to rally together to fight hunger, once and for all. In our 21st century world, it is not only a disastrous stain on many of our government officials who are failing, but also on us. We must mobilize against the long-standing establishment and cry “Enough is enough.” Let’s create genuine agitation rather than compromise with the establishment.

If not us, who? If not now, when? Hunger must end; we must be the generation to do so.

Riley T. Smith is a graduate student at Westminster College researching food scarcity in Utah. He has worked in U.S. House of Representative and U.S. Senate offices, as well as think tanks, nonprofits and higher education institutions.