As nearly 600,000 Utahns face food insecurity, Food Justice Coalition is calling for a response that addresses the conditions driving hunger as well as the immediate need for food. Utah Food Bank reports that nearly 100,000 more people are experiencing food insecurity than a year ago.
“Food banks, volunteers and donors are meeting urgent needs every day,” said Jeanette Padilla Vega, Founder and CEO of Food Justice Coalition. “But hunger is also shaped by housing costs, wages, transportation, health and the way our food system is built. We cannot expect charitable giving alone to solve a problem produced across so many systems.”
Food Justice Coalition provides nutritious prepared meals alongside food education and advocacy. Since its founding in 2020, the Salt Lake City organization has served more than 100,000 meals. Its work recognizes that access to ingredients does not always mean access to a meal, particularly for people without reliable transportation, cooking facilities or the ability to prepare food.
The organization is urging Utah leaders to make food access part of decisions about housing, schools, transportation and neighborhood development. It also calls for greater investment in Utah growers, community kitchens and delivery networks to build a localized, resilient and sustainable food system.
“We plan for roads, water and schools because communities cannot function without them,” Padilla Vega said. “We should plan for nutritious, affordable food with the same seriousness.”Food Justice Coalition says that response must account for the ways hunger intersects with other needs. Rent determines what a household has left for groceries. Nutrition affects health and learning. Restrictions on food assistance can leave people in need without support.
The organization is calling on state and local leaders to protect access to food assistance, reduce unnecessary barriers and invest in local food infrastructure. Meeting today’s need, it says, must go hand in hand with changing the conditions that cause it.
