Putting Michiganders First
“Putting Michiganders first means making sure that they can provide healthy food to their families.” – Governor Gretchen Whitmer
Governor Gretchen Whitmer created the Food Security Council as part of her ongoing efforts to address food insecurity in Michigan, appointing Dr. Phil Knight, executive director of the Food Bank Council of Michigan, as the Chair.
This week on Food First Michigan, Dr. Dawn Opel, the Food Bank Council of Michigan’s director of research & strategic initiatives and general counsel, helps us understand the Food Security Council’s final report and the potential impact it could have on food security in Michigan. The report can be found at fbcmich.org. Tune in for the engaging discussion Sunday at 9:00 PM on WJR Radio or NewsTalk 760 AM!
The final report released by Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s Food Security Council contains evidence-based information on food insecurity to our state. There are three areas of recommendations in the report: Increase Availability of Healthy, Fresh Food; Understand and Support Michiganders Experiencing Hunger; and Improve Navigation to Connect to Food and Nutrition Programs.
Food insecurity affects each segment of the Michigan economy. Healthcare costs associated with food insecurity in our state are about $1.8 billion dollars each year, with total costs totaling to $5.5 billion dollars each year. Recommendation #11 is “improve infrastructure for food insecurity screening, referral, and diagnostic coding in healthcare organizations.” Dr. Opel shares her knowledge on this topic and explain that to address food insecurity as a social determinant of health, we must create infrastructure within the healthcare system to coordinate services and integrate those providing food resources into the treatment plan.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, we saw the role that food insecurity had in exacerbating disparities for those impacted. Creating a statewide solution to address food insecurity as a social determinant of health will take agreement and alignment across multiple sectors including government, industry, and nonprofit.
Find this episode and all past Food First Michigan episodes at foodfirstmi.org, on Apple Podcasts or iHeartRadio.