Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

Panel: Investigating the Relationship between Household Food Insecurity and the Local Food Environment

(Poverty and Income Policy)

In 2016 there were roughly 41 million people living in food-insecure households, where at some point they had limited or uncertain access to adequate foods to meet the needs of all household members. The negative health consequences of food insecurity, such as diet related diseases, are well-documented. There is evidence that the prevalence of food insecurity is higher among specific population subgroups, such as households that are low income, black non-Hispanic, Hispanic, and disabled. Research also indicates a link between food insecurity and obesity. High rates of obesity and other diet-related diseases among specific demographic subgroups have called attention to the food environment—the location and availability of food retailers and restaurants, food prices, and other factors—as a possible contributor to obesity and health disparities. Consequently, the idea of improving access to healthy food retailers has garnered interest as policy option for reducing these disparities. For example, over $220 million has been distributed through the Healthy Food Financing Initiative to bring grocery stores and other healthy food retailers to underserved areas since 2011. More recently, the USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) announced a pilot program designed to enable participants to purchase their groceries online as another way to increase access among participants living in neighborhoods with limited access to healthy food outlets.

While much research has investigated the link between the food environment and diet quality, less has focused on the relationship between the food environment and food security. The papers in this session describe the prevalence of food insecurity, the prevalence of poor food environments, and the link between a household’s food environment and food security. Another question examined in this session is if and how one’s food environment affects the association between food insecurity and health outcomes, and whether monetary incentives to increase purchasing power among low-income households is effective at reducing food insecurity.

To encourage engagement and discussion between research and policy makers, we have put together a panel that includes program leaders, researchers, and practicioners to discuss ways to build the base of evidence in this area and translate research findings into policy options. The two discussants in the session cover broad expertise in their understanding of how the food environment impacts health and how food assistance and food needs are related to food insecurity.