The Show Me State reported a 14 percent rate of food insecurity, which represents 340,000 households in the state. Missouri's rate is the highest among adjacent states and well above the national average of 12.2 percent.
Compared to the 1996-98 average, Missouri's food insecurity rate jumped by 3.9 percentage points, the largest increase of any state. Even more alarming is that the increase was in fact statistically significant at a 90 percent confidence level (t > 1.645).
The results also worsened nationally compared to one year ago. According to USDA's report:
In 2008, 85.4 percent of U.S. households were food secure throughout the year. Food-secure households had consistent access to enough food for active healthy lives for all household members at all times during the year. The remaining 14.6 percent (17 million households) were food insecure. These households, at some time during the year, had difficulty providing enough food for all their members due to a lack of resources. The prevalence of food insecurity was up from 11.1 percent (13 million households) in 2007 and was the highest observed since nationally representative food security surveys were initiated in 1995.
The results show households most likely to face food insecurity are headed by a single parent. Surprisingly, there is little distinction between rural and metropolitan areas. Thus this is an issue that spans geographically to areas often generalized in the political spectrum.
The report is compiled by USDA's Economic Research Service in coordination with the U.S. Census Bureau's monthly Current Population Survey.
Related Links:
USDA Food Insecurity Report 2008
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