Report: More than one in ten Maine families lacks adequate, nutritious food

Food is fundamental to human life, but more than 77,000 Maine households — more than one in ten — lacks the nutrition needed to thrive, while one in 20 households does not have enough food to meet basic caloric needs.

In the three-year period that ended with 2018, Maine had the worst food security in New England, and the 12th-worst rate in the country, according to a new report by Maine Center for Economic Policy.

Food insecurity is both a function and a driver of economic insecurity. Families in precarious economic situations are more likely to go hungry. That hunger makes it harder to gain a more secure foothold in the economy. No group of Mainers is immune from this cycle, but people of color, single-parents, and families with children are at an even higher risk of getting stuck in the loop. 

Click here to read MECEP’s full issue brief on food insecurity in Maine. 

Click here for additional analysis, nutrition assistance resources, and opportunities to get involved in the effort to reduce hunger.