Each fall and spring, FinMango partners with the University of Virginia’s SEED Consulting group to expand FinMango’s research on a variety of financial health topics.
This semester’s students researched food insecurity across America with specific case studies in Chicago, Atlanta, Kansas City, Twin Falls, and Wolfe County.
Food insecurity looks different for everyone. It can look like skipping meals to pay rent, choosing cheaper food with fewer nutrients, traveling far to access fresh produce, or living with constant uncertainty about whether the next grocery run will fit into the budget. UVA SEED’s research helped put numbers to these lived experiences, revealing how widespread and structurally driven food insecurity is across households in the United States.
A huge thank you to Jaiden Khemani, Alex Jennings, Henna Fernandez, Mae Bledsoe, and Matt Tam for their exceptional work throughout the semester.
Here are some of their key findings:
47M+ Americans are food insecure
19M+ Americans live in food deserts
Around 500k Chicago residents struggle with food insecurity, and 75% of SNAP recipients earn at or below the poverty line
In Atlanta, only 38% of SNAP retailers in majority-black neighborhoods carry fresh produce, compared to 75% in majority non-black neighborhoods
Kansas City largely relies on nonprofits to combat rising food insecurity
In Twin Falls, food insecurity is driven by structural barriers like transportation constraints, not food supply shortages
In Wolfe County, a lack of access to nutritious food directly contributes to higher
rates of diet-related illnesses
The FinMango team was very impressed with the students’ work this semester. FinMango has already expanded its resources related to food security, which are publicly accessible:
Finally, a huge thank you to all of the professionals who joined FinMango for the students’ virtual presentation at the end of the semester! We’re grateful for your generosity and willingness to offer valuable feedback to the students.
If you’re a professional who’s interested in joining a future UVA SEED x FinMango presentation or connecting with students through virtual networking opportunities, please reach out to the FinMango team at [email protected].
About SEED Consulting: SEED Consulting is a social impact consulting group comprised of 50+ students at the University of Virginia. In affiliation with the McIntire School of Commerce and Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, their goal is to support the training and professional development of members and facilitate the efforts of budding social entrepreneurs at the University of Virginia. Since 2006, they have provided dozens of clients, for-profit and non-profit, with management consulting and strategic advisory services. Learn more.