Food issues on the rise

Several measures show an increasing level of demand for help with food in Minnesota.

In the first chart, “food insecurity” is a measure of the portion of the population reporting a lack of consistent access to adequate food.

In the second chart, the average number of Minnesotans using food stamps rose gradually through most of the past decade and then more sharply as the economy sputtered.

The third chart shows an increasing trend of food shelf use in Minnesota.

The fourth chart shows the increasing portion of Minnesota school children who are eligible for subsidized lunches.