A new report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture says one in six Texas households struggled to avoid hunger between 2013 and 2015, despite low unemployment statewide. The report, released today, states 15.4 percent of Texas households experienced “food insecurity” in that period, meaning they faced hunger or had to find ways to avoid being hungry. That’s down from 17 percent between 2012 and 2014, according to the USDA. Texas falls behind California in the top states that are food-insecure, with 1.5 million Texas households reporting food insecurities between 2013 and 2015, the report shows. “The Texas economy is strong, but it is leaving too many people behind,” said Celia Cole, CEO of Feeding Texas. “It is unacceptable that one in six Texas families is faced with choosing between food and other needs because they can’t keep up with the rising cost of living, or lack the resources to weather a crisis.”

What does “food insecurity” mean?

The USDA defines food insecurity as a state in which "consistent access to adequate food is limited by a lack of money and other resources at times during the year." It can also be referred to as "struggling to avoid hunger" or "at risk of hunger."

What resources are there to learn more about food insecurity?

Check out www.feedingtexas.org.