WASHINGTON, January 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Today, UnidosUS, Latin America’s largest advocacy and civil rights organization, and Knorr®, Unilever’s largest food brand, released a report examining hunger and food insecurity among Latinos living in rural communities. “Not Enough Food on the Dinner Table: A Look at Food Insecurity Among Hispanics/Latinos Living in Rural Communities in United Statesreflects the findings of a mixed-methods needs assessment with 16 community members and 23 community leaders across the country, conducted between February and March 2022 which explored food insecurity and lack of nutritious meals in rural Latin American communities.
Findings revealed existing opportunities at the individual, community, organizational, and policy levels to address nutrition and food insecurity among Latinos living in rural areas, including.
- Latinos living in rural communities have higher rates of food insecurity
- Rural Latino communities often work on farms that grow the country’s food, but their living conditions and geographic locations create barriers to accessing healthy food and perpetuate a cycle of food insecurity.
- Community leaders and members discussed the importance of a culturally appropriate food assistance program
“Implementing the proposed programmatic and policy recommendations outlined in our report has the potential to improve access to healthy food options,” said Rita Carreón, vice president for health at UnidosUS. “Better access to culturally appropriate and equitable options can improve dietary habits and prevent or delay the onset of obesity and other chronic diseases among Latinos in rural communities. This will have a positive impact on the economy and the health of our country.”
UnidosUS and Knorr have been collaborating since 2020 and have a shared mission to ensure that healthy, nutritious food is accessible and affordable for all Americans. The brand funded the study to help gain valuable insight into the lives and needs of the Latino community living in rural areas.
“Knorr believes that delicious, nutritious food should be accessible to everyone, however, we recognize that this is not a reality for everyone in our country, and particularly in rural areas where access is more limited” , said Gina KiroffNorth America Marketing Manager for Knorr®. “As part of our mission as a brand, Knorr supports organizations and initiatives like UnidosUS in the hope that through these efforts we can together help find solutions to improve access to nutritious food for people. Latinos living in rural areas and in food insecure communities.”
The report’s programmatic and policy recommendations align directly with the recent White House Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, which outlines a national strategy to achieve the bold goal of ending hunger in America by 2030.
The three programmatic recommendations of the UnidosUS report include:
- Strengthen nutrition education taking into account and respecting the context of Latinos living in rural communities;
- Strengthen nutrition-related programs to improve engagement;
- Provide virtual education to address access disparities.
The fourth policy recommendations of the UnidosUS report include:
- Improve food security and access to food for all Latinos;
- Improve access to and enrollment in federal nutrition assistance programs;
- Improving access to food and overcoming barriers due to the built environment;
- Strengthen the allocation of funds to improve food security outcomes.
The full report is available at this link.
About UnidosUS
UnidosUS, formerly known as NCLR (National Council of La Raza), is the nation’s largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization. Through its unique combination of expert research, advocacy, programs and a Affiliate Network of nearly 300 community organizations across United States and Porto Rico, UnidosUS simultaneously challenges the social, economic and political barriers that affect Latinos at the national and local levels. For more than 50 years, UnidosUS has united communities and different groups seeking common ground through collaboration, and who share a desire to make our country stronger. For more information about UnidosUS, visit www.unidosus.org or follow us on Facebook, instagramand Twitter.
About Knorr®
Knorr® believes that healthy and nutritious food should be accessible and affordable for everyone. This is not a reality for everyone in America today. That’s why we strive to ensure that all Americans can create healthy meals they feel good about. Whether creating high-quality products, offering simple recipes developed by chefs, or supporting organizations and initiatives that provide access to healthy food, Knorr® remains committed to its long history of making good food accessible to everyone.
The company was established in 1838, when the founder Carl Heinrich Knorr pioneered experiments in drying seasonings and vegetables to preserve their flavor and nutritional value. Since then, Knorr® has become an international brand offering a wide range of broths, soups, seasonings, sauces, snack soups, dressings, frozen and ready meals.
Contact: Elsa Rainey, [email protected]
SOURCE UnidosUS
