LANSING, Mich., March 7, 2022 — Last week, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Food Security Council issued its final report, which includes recommendations to decrease food insecurity in Michigan. Recommendations include increasing funding for programs providing fresh food, seeking feedback from Michiganders who use community food programs and ensuring Medicaid beneficiaries can access medically appropriate food. State Rep. Angela Witwer (Delta Township), who serves on the Food Security Council, issued the following statement in support of the council’s work and recommendations:
“We’ve made a lot of progress toward ending food scarcity in Michigan, but this report shows that there’s even more we can do. On the one hand, we’ve increased the amount of healthy, locally grown food available to Michiganders. This report provides guidance on how we can build on this success and go even further. Then, there’s the access piece: Can citizens find the resources available to them? Are our systems user-friendly? Are our programs inclusive of those with diabetes and other medical restrictions? The report has laid out some excellent steps that we can take to both increase the resources available and make sure Michiganders can access them without undue burden.”