Closing NM’s Food Gap:
Connecting Locally Grown Food
to All New Mexicans

NM is considered one of the most “food insecure” states in the nation. Close to 17 percent of New Mexicans are considered “food insecure” (not sure where their next meal will come from), and two-thirds of our schoolchildren – more than 210,000, come from homes that are considered low-income and eligible for the federal school lunch program. At the same time, close to one-third of New Mexicans live in communities beyond our metropolitan areas. Residents in communities such as Shiprock and Crownpoint on the Navajo Nation, Costilla and Questa in northern NM, Reserve in the southwestern part of the state, the colonias of southern NM, communities such as Lincoln in the Hondo valley and Jal in the southeastern part of the state all have something in common – their residents have to drive 35 miles or more to a grocery store. What do all of these individuals and communities have in common? Lack of access to adequate healthy, affordable, and culturally significant foods. These statistics are compounded by the fact that food prices are on the rise. Families, schools, and foodbanks alike, are spending more on food. More people are having to choose between food, gas, and rent, and 41 percent of NM’s working families are eligible for the food stamp program. Statistics have shown that individuals who have to travel more than ten miles to a grocery store are less likely to eat or have access to fresh healthy food options.

School lunch programs are in a similar situation. NM schools have about $1.80 to spend per child on the school lunch plate. Out of that money they have to pay for the people who prepare the meals, supplies and equipment. By the time they pay for everything, they have about one dollar to pay for the food itself, which must meet federal dietary standards. To make ends meet, they use mostly processed and canned foods. A recent Washington Post article was entitled “Food Costs Derail Push for Healthier Meals in US Schools.” USA Today’s headline: “The Real Cost of Cheap Food.”

The threat to the health of our children from a poor diet has never been greater. Like other children across America, the percentage of NM’s children who are obese and overweight (24 percent of high school students) is growing. The risk of being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes is now 30 percent for boys, 40 percent for girls, and even higher for Hispanic and Native American children. Unfortunately, only a quarter of children ages 2-11 even consume three servings of vegetables a day. We are in danger of raising the first generation of American children with a lower life expectancy than their parents.

We can positively affect children’s health if we can provide them with fresh healthy options. The same goes for increasing fresh fruit and vegetable options in grocery stores in rural and underserved communities and increasing low-income citizens’ access to NM’s 50 farmers’ markets.