Food Insecurity and Food Justice in the Rhode Island Food Bank

In 2021, 18% of Rhode Islanders were food insecure, with a higher prevalence for Black, Latino, and Indigenous communities, as well as households with children (Rhode Island Community Food Bank, 2021). Levels of food insecurity were also heightened during the COVID-19 Pandemic both nationally, and locally, in Rhode Island. This project inquires about the experiences of food insecurity and food justice among Rhode Island residents. The purpose of this study is to understand on a deeper level the recent scope of food insecurity in Rhode Island with respect to food insecurity disparities. A secondary purpose of this project is to conduct a needs assessment of the people in RI who are food insecure to see what is missing in the current system of assistance, and in which areas individuals need or want more assistance. This study reaffirmed previous research results that people with a low income, people who are unemployed, and households with children experience higher levels of food insecurity. Moreover, the main barriers to accessing food pantries in Rhode Island are either gas prices, time, weather, or food prices. The implications of this study are that employment, income, and the size of the household are indicators of food security. Another implication is that including Spanish translation is a necessary part of analyzing and researching food insecurity in order to receive accurate and representative data