Why Data Focused on Hunger is More Important than Ever

In communities across the U.S., hunger is not an abstraction. It is the child whose concentration fades by mid-morning because breakfast was skipped. It is the family quietly rationing meals at the end of the month, waiting for their SNAP benefits to renew. It is the senior who chooses between medication and groceries. These are real, measurable lived experiences.

However, the data available to understand these challenges exists across multiple state and federal agencies in technical reports, often in formats inaccessible to the public. Recent concerns also include the anticipated ending of a report that has helped policymakers understand hunger for the last 30 years. The result will be a gap between the data and evidence that exists, and the people positioned to act on it.

How is Bread for the World responding to the need for more data?

Later this month, Bread for the World is releasing an interactive U.S. Hunger Data Dashboard that consolidates a variety of state and federal metrics, converting the numbers behind hunger, poverty, and the social safety net into a resource that anyone can use. This tool will be especially useful for grassroots advocates, students, policymakers, and anyone looking to be more informed on these topics.

With support from the Humana Foundation and the input of several partners, the dashboard will provide state-by-state data covering food insecurity rates, poverty levels, and participation in federal nutrition programs. Examples of these programs include the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and others. The dashboard also includes metrics related to health and well-being, an interactive map, and data sources for users who wish to dive deeper into the topics.

How can data focused on hunger and nutrition inform advocacy and policymaking?

For decades, advocates have demanded action to end hunger in the halls of Congress and state legislatures where decisions about nutrition and health programs are made. Bread’s grassroots organizers, and others doing similar work, have also galvanized their churches, schools, and family and friends into advocacy. Having access to trusted and reputable data is necessary across this policy and advocacy spectrum. Good federal data is not a luxury, it is foundational for advocacy, sound policy design, and responsible governance. It helps us to answer questions like, “Where is food insecurity most prevalent, and why?” and “Where are the gaps between need and access?.”

These questions are not rhetorical—they help determine whether a child eats a school meal, whether a family qualifies for nutrition assistance, and whether our elected leaders invest in programs that work. Bread for the World’s new dashboard was built on a straightforward premise: that accessible, accurate, and comprehensive data is itself a tool for justice, and will help us live out our mission of ending hunger.

Why is this dashboard, and similar tools, needed at this moment?

When advocates on Capitol Hill or in state legislatures feel equipped, they are energized to bring about change, and can bring others along too. When a legislator has the full picture of an issue, they can implement better policies. When a grassroots leader can identify where program participation is lagging, they can make policy asks of their elected officials that are targeted and more effective.

The launch of this dashboard comes at a consequential moment. Federal nutrition programs are vulnerable at this moment – Congress voted to cut SNAP by $187 billion in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, or H.R. 1. These cuts and structural changes are likely to reduce or eliminate food access for millions of Americans. Decisions made today in Congress, in statehouses, and across federal agencies will shape the landscape of hunger in America for years to come – for better or for worse. The dashboard captures past data and will be updated as new data emerges, helping users to understand hunger and nutrition trends over time. In this environment, the ability to ground advocacy in evidence is more urgent than ever.

Taylor Johnson is a Domestic Policy Advisor with Bread for the World’s Policy and Research Institute (PRI).

The opinions, findings, and conclusion or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Humana Foundation or Humana Inc.