Sophia Lenarz-Coy

So to have that at the state level, we think is gonna really help. But things like this take time to kind of build up, to start seeing those effects on the numbers. The other thing that happened last legislative session is universal school meals in Minnesota. So all kids in Minnesota now can have breakfast and lunch at school, no questions asked. that's going to help.

So to have that at the state level, we think is gonna really help. But things like this take time to kind of build up, to start seeing those effects on the numbers. The other thing that happened last legislative session is universal school meals in Minnesota. So all kids in Minnesota now can have breakfast and lunch at school, no questions asked. that's going to help.

That's going to take some of the pressure off of families. It's also going to take some of the pressure off of food shelves. But these things take time. So I think we see that we're headed in a better direction. But the X factor is truly what are grocery prices going to continue to do? Because as those go up at a higher rate than wages do, this pressure on food insecurity gets bigger.

That's going to take some of the pressure off of families. It's also going to take some of the pressure off of food shelves. But these things take time. So I think we see that we're headed in a better direction. But the X factor is truly what are grocery prices going to continue to do? Because as those go up at a higher rate than wages do, this pressure on food insecurity gets bigger.

Yeah, I think, you know, generally Minnesota, it would have lower food insecurity rates than certainly some places where, again, it's so tied to, you know, income. And then also just to kind of the attitude of the state government in terms of safety net support. So I would say Minnesota has a... You know, a couple different things going for it.

Yeah, I think, you know, generally Minnesota, it would have lower food insecurity rates than certainly some places where, again, it's so tied to, you know, income. And then also just to kind of the attitude of the state government in terms of safety net support. So I would say Minnesota has a... You know, a couple different things going for it.

There's a real culture of volunteerism in Minnesota and a kind of sense of state pride. So I do think Minnesotans like the idea of taking care of each other, coming together. So that certainly helps. But the place Minnesota has an abysmal track record is on how our food insecurity breaks down according to race. And so our racial disparities in terms of food access continue to be

There's a real culture of volunteerism in Minnesota and a kind of sense of state pride. So I do think Minnesotans like the idea of taking care of each other, coming together. So that certainly helps. But the place Minnesota has an abysmal track record is on how our food insecurity breaks down according to race. And so our racial disparities in terms of food access continue to be

really, really high. And that's one thing we think a lot about at the food group of we have to talk about race head on and really think about, to your point, access. But access looks different in different cultural communities, in different geographic communities.

really, really high. And that's one thing we think a lot about at the food group of we have to talk about race head on and really think about, to your point, access. But access looks different in different cultural communities, in different geographic communities.

So how we might address that in maybe a rural community is going to be really different than maybe a neighborhood that has a lot of historic disinvestment. So I would say Minnesota on the whole, you could say it's doing well.

So how we might address that in maybe a rural community is going to be really different than maybe a neighborhood that has a lot of historic disinvestment. So I would say Minnesota on the whole, you could say it's doing well.

But then when you start disaggregating some of that data, it's really clear that there are kind of really prevalent, almost generational food access challenges for certain of our communities, many of them being black and brown communities.

But then when you start disaggregating some of that data, it's really clear that there are kind of really prevalent, almost generational food access challenges for certain of our communities, many of them being black and brown communities.

Yeah. So I think, you know, that is such an important connection. And it's one that when I started kind of doing some of this work, it used to be that it was one we had to kind of justify or talk about a lot, right? Like we'd cite studies that, you know, if people have access to fruits and vegetables, they'll eat more of them or, right? We'd cite studies that people

Yeah. So I think, you know, that is such an important connection. And it's one that when I started kind of doing some of this work, it used to be that it was one we had to kind of justify or talk about a lot, right? Like we'd cite studies that, you know, if people have access to fruits and vegetables, they'll eat more of them or, right? We'd cite studies that people

People know often what is healthy, but they just can't get those things. And so if folks do, we, you know, we think that rates of diabetes would go down or heart disease would go down and obesity related, right? Any kind of chronic diet related diseases are very much tied to food access because all sorts of studies show that when you don't have access to

People know often what is healthy, but they just can't get those things. And so if folks do, we, you know, we think that rates of diabetes would go down or heart disease would go down and obesity related, right? Any kind of chronic diet related diseases are very much tied to food access because all sorts of studies show that when you don't have access to

you have to really think about how to buy the most dense calorie foods that are available. So it often is really, really unhealthy things. So one thing that is talked about sometimes is the hunger obesity paradox. that many folks struggling with food insecurity have struggles with obesity as well.

you have to really think about how to buy the most dense calorie foods that are available. So it often is really, really unhealthy things. So one thing that is talked about sometimes is the hunger obesity paradox. that many folks struggling with food insecurity have struggles with obesity as well.