Food for Every Child: The Need for Healthy Food Financing in Michigan
Overview
Michigan must address the significant need for fresh food resources in many of its communities. A myriad of factors have created a shortage of healthy food resources in lower-income areas across the state, creating a public health
crisis.
Despite having the nation’s second most diverse agriculture industry, 17.9% of Michigan’s residents are food insecure, meaning they lack reliable access to healthy food. In Kent County, home to Grand Rapids, the largest city in West Michigan, 80,000 people are food insecure.
More than 1.8 million Michigan residents, including an estimated 300,000 children, live in lower-income communities with limited
supermarket access. Underserved communities can be found in rural areas such as Hillsdale, Tuscola, Sanilac, Cold Water and Allegan, as well as in urban centers including Flint and Detroit.