In an urgent new report, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reveals that food insecurity has reached its highest level in nearly a decade, affecting 18 million families, or 13.5% of U.S. households, who struggle to access enough food. The report arrives at a time when Americans are increasingly burdened by high food costs, underscoring a critical escalation in the country’s hunger crisis. In 2023 alone, food insecurity rose significantly from 12.8% of households in 2022 and just over 10% in 2021—a spike that advocates call a wake-up call for policymakers.

The Rising Toll on Families, Especially Those with Children

For families with children, the USDA findings paint a particularly troubling picture. Nearly 9% of households with children faced food insecurity in 2023, an increase from prior years. While parents generally prioritize their children’s needs, the report reveals that more than 380,000 families experienced situations where children skipped meals, endured hunger, or went without eating for an entire day due to financial constraints.

This new USDA analysis, prepared by researchers Matthew P. Rabbitt, Madeline Reed-Jones, Laura J. Hales, and Michael P. Burke, is based on survey data from 30,863 households representing the broader U.S. population of about 133 million households. Survey respondents were asked about food-related challenges in the past year, including the inability to afford balanced meals, cutting meal sizes, or experiencing hunger due to a lack of money. Based on the responses, the USDA classified each household’s level of food security according to the frequency and severity of these hardships.

Voices of Outrage: Advocates Demand Urgent Action

The release of the USDA report has sparked strong reactions from anti-hunger advocates and policy leaders who argue that the findings should spur immediate legislative action. Eric Mitchell, president of the Alliance to End Hunger, decried the data as a “damning report” and a powerful indictment of the nation’s current approach to combating hunger. “This report shows that hunger in America is getting worse, not better,” Mitchell said in a public statement. “Policymakers must take immediate and decisive action to reverse these deeply troubling trends.”

Mitchell emphasized that food insecurity disproportionately affects certain communities, particularly Black and Hispanic households, single-parent families, households headed by women, and those in rural and urban areas as opposed to suburban regions. According to USDA data, food insecurity among Black and Hispanic Americans is more than twice as high as that among White Americans and impacts almost 40% of people living below the poverty line. In total, 47.4 million Americans lived in food-insecure households last year—an increase of 3.2 million from 2022 and 13.5 million from 2021.

Crystal FitzSimons, interim president of the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC), echoed Mitchell’s concerns, warning that without “greater investments in anti-poverty and anti-hunger programs, hunger in this country will continue to climb.” FitzSimons underscored the immediate need to protect and expand SNAP benefits, reinstate the Healthy School Meals for All initiative, and strengthen the Child Tax Credit. According to FitzSimons, these programs were instrumental in reducing food insecurity during the pandemic by providing families with much-needed support during economic upheaval.

SNAP** at Risk: Proposed Cuts Threaten to Worsen the Crisis**

A potential $30 billion reduction in SNAP funding over the next decade, currently under consideration by Congress, could deepen food insecurity for millions, FitzSimons warned. The cut would coincide with the reauthorization of the Farm Bill, a comprehensive package of agricultural and nutritional support policies renewed every five years. In response, FRAC and over 1,400 national and local organizations have issued an urgent appeal to Congress to protect SNAP from budget cuts, emphasizing the essential role SNAP plays in preventing hunger across the country.

“Without robust SNAP benefits, even more families will struggle to put food on the table,” FitzSimons cautioned, stressing the need to retain pandemic-era measures that provided universal free school meals through the Healthy School Meals for All initiative. Eight states have continued this policy since the pandemic, offering free meals to all students regardless of family income. “Congress should follow their example,” FitzSimons said. The widespread support for these programs underscores the vital need to maintain or increase federal investments in food security.

A Perfect Storm: Economic Hardship and Expiring Pandemic Programs Drive Hunger Crisis

While rising food prices are one factor behind the surge in food insecurity, advocates argue that the expiration of key pandemic-era programs has compounded the problem. During the pandemic, a series of emergency programs temporarily boosted SNAP benefits, enabled universal free school meals, and expanded the Child Tax Credit. These measures proved to be a lifeline for millions of American families navigating economic uncertainty. With the rollback of these initiatives, many households that previously relied on these supports are now struggling to meet basic nutritional needs.

Mitchell and FitzSimons stress that these programs have demonstrated their effectiveness in reducing hunger and poverty. They advocate for permanent solutions rather than temporary fixes, arguing that the USDA report findings are a testament to the necessity of sustained support. “Without immediate intervention, the number of Americans grappling with hunger will only increase,” FitzSimons warned.

**A Call to Policymakers: “This **Report Must Be a Wake-Up Call”

As the nation confronts its highest levels of food insecurity in years, advocates are issuing a rallying cry to policymakers. “This report must be a wake-up call for every American,” Mitchell concluded. “We urge policymakers to act now, before more families fall deeper into hunger and poverty.”

The USDA report underscores that while the tools to address hunger in America—such as enhanced SNAP benefits, expanded child nutrition programs, and targeted tax relief—are well within reach, meaningful change will require bipartisan support and decisive action. Advocates argue that the resources are available to make hunger a relic of the past, but they caution that inaction will see food insecurity continue its troubling climb.