A new study conducted by the federal department of agriculture, or the USDA, has identified Arkansas as the most food insecure state in the country. With almost 20% of the state lacking resources to feed their household, Arkansas has a significantly higher rate of hunger than the national average of 12%.

There is a food desert in every county in Arkansas. What’s a food desert? According to the USDA, it’s a term used to describe a region with a large number of households facing low incomes, inadequate access to transportation and a limited number of food retailers providing fresh, affordable produce. In a rural state like Arkansas, these types of areas are common to find. And while residents may be growing food in these farming-driven communities, CEO of the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance’s Sylvia Blain said the food isn’t for the farmers.

"So, we're an agricultural state," Blain said. "We export a lot of our food, but we're not necessarily growing fresh fruits and vegetables for our communities. So that's one of the reasons you have this level of food insecurity and food deserts in an agricultural state. So that's two different things, the agricultural products and then having fresh fruits and vegetables for your community. But across the board, you know, Arkansas has a high poverty rate, and so along with that comes a lack of transportation, a lack of access to a lot of the resources that we might need, and the inability to gain those resources for yourself. So you know, the root causes are varied."

Food desert elimination grant combats food insecurity in Arkansas