Community Advocates Come Together to Address Growing Threats to Food Security in Minnesota

Hunger and food insecurity are on the rise in Minnesota, jeopardizing the health and wellbeing of countless individuals and families. According to a recent statewide hunger survey, 1 in 5 Minnesota households are food insecure and 30% of households in Minnesota are not confident about having enough food in the next year. The escalating cost of groceries and cuts to food assistance programs will only increase these numbers, impacting our most vulnerable community members.

On March 11^th, 2025, organizations, families, and community leaders from across the state joined together for Hunger Day on the Hill to send the message to that no Minnesotan should go hungry. Hunger Day on the Hill brought together over 200 people at the Capitol to meet with legislators and advocate for a more food-secure Minnesota. The Food Group, in collaboration with the Partners to End Hunger Coalition, has hosted Hunger Day on the Hill for the past 10 years.

The Food Group is a nonprofit organization working toward food justice and health equity. For over 45 years, they have provided nutritious and quality foods to people across 30+ counties in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Over the last four years, The Food Group and local food shelves have seen a dramatic increase in the need for food assistance. “In 2024, nearly 9 million Minnesotans visited food shelves, the most ever recorded. That’s an increase of 1.4 million compared to 2023, and 2.5 times the total visits in pre-pandemic 2019,” said Sophia Lenarz-Coy, Executive Director of The Food Group.

From expanding their operation hours to allowing for unlimited visits, Minnesota food shelves have worked tirelessly to meet the growing need for assistance, but more support is urgently needed. “More than ever, food shelves and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are irreplaceable safeguards against hunger,” said Lenarz-Coy. Barriers to food security are only increasing with prices soaring and lifesaving food assistance programs now in jeopardy. These barriers loom large, especially for the most vulnerable populations.

The high cost of food, lack of access to transportation, and living in communities without local grocery stores are just some of the barriers facing food insecure Minnesotans. “Quite simply, wages have not kept up with the cost of living in Minnesota,” said Lenarz-Coy. “Housing and rental prices have soared in recent years, leaving households with less money to afford nutritious food. From healthcare costs to transportation to housing, people are struggling to pay their bills. The 2022 Minnesota Food Shelf Survey found that many visitors were forced to choose between paying for food and other essentials. For example, 38% of respondents chose between paying for utilities and buying food.”

New cuts to federal food assistance programs will only exacerbate existing health inequities and hunger in Minnesota and across the nation. In early March, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the end of two federal programs that spent over $1 billion annually to help schools and food banks buy healthy food from local farms. Roughly $660 million of that went to schools and childcare centers to purchase food for meals through the Local Foods for Schools program. A separate program provided money to support local food banks. In Minnesota, these cuts are an alarming hit to farmers, schools, families, and communities.

Many Minnesotans are also concerned about the future of SNAP. At Hunger Day on the Hill, advocates and leaders voiced the need to preserve and protect SNAP. According to Lenarz-Coy, “cuts to SNAP would be catastrophic for Minnesotans’ health. 450,000 Minnesotans used SNAP benefits in 2024.” SNAP dramatically increases state capacity to meet rising food assistance needs. “For every one meal Minnesota food shelves provide, SNAP provides nine. Without SNAP, Minnesotans will struggle to put food on the table and state food shelves may be pushed beyond their capacity,” said Lenarz-Coy.

All Minnesotans, regardless of race, income, ZIP code or other factors, should have opportunities to live the healthiest lives possible. Now, more than ever, it is imperative that we work together to address hunger and food insecurity in our communities. “Collectively, we have the power to ensure all Minnesotans have access to nutritious, quality food,” said Lenarz-Coy. “Hunger Day on the Hill was one way to harness that power through face-to-face advocacy and create the change we want to see. Together, we can invest in food for today and create lasting change for tomorrow.”