Estimates show that during the start of the pandemic, food insecurity increased to approximately 1.9 million people in Michigan, including 552,000 children. 

A final report from Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s Food Security Council includes 11 recommendations to decrease food insecurity in the state and highlights the work already in motion by the state to improve this issue. 

The Food Security Council's report provides recommendations that are broken down into three main recommendations:   

•    Increase availability of healthy, fresh food.

•    Understand and support Michiganders experiencing hunger.

•    Improve navigation to connect to food and nutrition programs.

Within the three main categories, recommendations include: 

•    Increasing funding for fresh food through local and regional programs. 

•    Increasing feedback from Michiganders who use community food programs.

•    Ensuring Medicaid beneficiaries, such as those with diabetes, can access medically appropriate food.  

•    Improve food access through increased transportation options including home delivery.

•    Improve infrastructure for food insecurity screening, referral and diagnostic coding in health care organizations.

According to the council’s report, cost-effective policies that enhance federal and state food and nutrition programs, increase charitable food assistance and clinically integrate food-as-medicine programs in health care have the potential to decrease food insecurity.

Whitmer created the council in August 2020 and appointed Dr. Phil Knight, executive director of the Food Bank Council of Michigan as chair. CMF connected with Knight to learn more about what these recommendations mean for the state and what’s next in addressing food insecurity. 

“The members, their research and a host of subject matter experts offered up the material you see in the final report. The scope of the work was very specific from the governor. There was an emphasis on ROI for the recommendations and more specifically what actions could the Governor take to address food security in the state,” Knight said. 

Knight shared that the pandemic has provided a clearer picture of the high need that exists in our communities and we can better define the problem through data and research.

“Once that infrastructure is built, we can periodically conduct a ‘Michigan Hunger Study’ that will help us define the problem so we can better right-size the safety net from top to bottom,” Knight said. 

During the pandemic, the network of seven Feeding America Food Banks increased distribution by 47%. According to Knight, it was done without the infrastructure in place to support that kind of growth. 

A partnership with Door Dash Foundation gave the network unlimited use of services to deliver food to those who couldn’t get to food distribution sites. 

“Innovation is key to solving some of the most stubborn problems associated with food security,” Knight said. 

Knight shared that better alignment in partnerships is crucial to go to the next level of addressing food insecurity. 

“Alignment with social programs across multiple state departments doesn’t seem efficient. We should look at better aligning this work under one roof and with community-based partners to get the best results for the families we serve,” Knight said. 

Want more?

Read the Food Security Council's full report.