Hunger Puts Food Rights on the Table

Food became a big topic in Massachusetts this week. Lawmakers there said hunger is not just a personal problem. They called it a political condition. A U.S. Rep. named James McGovern said it can be fixed. He said the cost of food, gas, housing, and healthcare keeps rising. The Urban Institute found that about half of Americans cannot pay the real cost of living.

McGovern spoke at a panel at UMass Amherst. He said hunger is simple. It is not hard science. He said political will matters. He said people can solve it in their lifetime. State Sen. Jo Comerford and state Rep. Mindy Domb joined him. They said food should be a constitutional right.

A woman who spoke through a translator said not enough food made children struggle to dream. She said kids saw the problem. They wanted to help their parents. She said the system hurt their dreams. Many college students in the state face food insecurity. A report found that 60 percent of them were food insecure. That was up from 38 percent the year before.

Domb said colleges need money to help students eat. She said high costs for books and supplies make students skip meals. Comerford said SNAP cuts hurt people. She said people still struggle. She asked where the state puts people first. Some residents with health issues said healthy food would help. Comerford said food is medicine. She said good food can raise survival chances.