Food insecurity

People who struggle to afford food have 20% higher health care costs than those who don't, partly the result of a cheaper, less healthy diet, a study finds.

Donations of both money and food are down. That's straining food banks at a time when more people are relying on them again.

Inflation, supply chain problems and wealth disparities remain barriers to solving hunger, says Claire Babineaux-Fontenot of Feeding America.

"There was a convenience shop owner nearby me who ate nothing but instant noodles for weeks," says Marketplace's Jennifer Pak.

The program is expected to provide a large benefits increase in 2023. Until then, many on fixed incomes have to tighten their budgets.

Higher food prices and the loss of pandemic-era supports mean that not only are more families using food banks, they're visiting them more often, advocates say.

The report from Robin Hood and Columbia University sheds light on the enduring economic hardship faced by many New Yorkers.

Even if globally significant crops in the Ukraine and Russia are eventually harvested, the chief economist of the UN World Food Programme warns they may not make it out of either country.

The payments typically came through about this time, but not this month. Some families had come to depend on that extra money.

The program will help state and tribal governments purchase locally produced food for nutritional assistance programs like food banks and school cafeterias.