There is no shortage of food in America, but there is a huge food insecurity gap in New Mexico and other states.

Feeding America’s latest report, Map the Meal Gap, looks at local-level estimates of food insecurity and food costs for every U.S. county and congressional district.

It includes data from the United States Department of Agriculture showing an increase in food insecurity in 2022.

Sonya Warwick is the communications and events director for New Mexico’s Roadrunner Food Bank.

“The meal gap grew 10 million meals,” said Warwick. “We do know that definitely food costs had a contributing factor behind that, and also the fact that pandemic-era extended programs for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits came to an end.”

Warwick said New Mexico has the eighth-highest hunger rate among all states for the overall population – about 15%, compared with 13.5% nationwide.

Food insecurity levels can vary based on unemployment, current poverty rates, and decades-old practices that have contributed to generational poverty.

Warwick said many food distribution sites in New Mexico have more people seeking assistance than food available – which increases the efforts needed by food banks.

Summer can be particularly tough for kids because they’re no longer getting meals at school.

She said the new data confirm that food insecurity exists in every county in Roadrunner Food Bank’s service area – but especially outside of urban areas.

“Counties with the highest percentages of hunger are all in rural communities,” said Warwick. “Catron County at 35.6%, Sierra County at 33.7%, and then others – all above 30%. That’s a significant amount of kids and families.”

Hispanic and Latino New Mexicans – who account for 50% of the population – experience higher food insecurity rates than non-Hispanic whites.

Warwick noted that Roadrunner benefits from food and monetary donations and is always in need of volunteers at the Albuquerque warehouse.

Last year, Roadrunner provided more than 32 million pounds of food for more than 26 million meals.

Cover Photo: The grandparent of a multi-generational family with children attending Albuquerque’s Los Padilla Elementary School picks up food at a monthly free food distribution site. (photo courtesy Roadrunner)

Publisher’s Notes: ‘Map the Meals Gap’ shows rural NM counties have highest food insecurity was first published by Public News Service and was republished with permission.

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