Talk of Alaska

Talk of Alaska: How Inflation is Impacting Food Security

Alaska Public Media | By Lori Townsend

Published November 15, 2022 at 4:57 PM AKST

The Sitka Salvation Army cycles through 10,000 lbs. of food a month. Most of their stock is donated by local grocery stores. In the past year, attendance at the soup kitchen has nearly doubled. Some trace this to locals unable to renew their food stamps after the closure of Sitka’s public assistance office. (Photo by Emily Kwong/KCAW)

Inflation in the United States is at a 40-year high, driving up the already-inflated prices of food around Alaska. Low salmon runs in parts of the state and wide-scale natural disasters have also affected subsistence living, leaving many Alaskans struggling to feed their families. What is the current state of food insecurity in Alaska, and what resources are available. We’ll talk with folks working to get food to those who need it, on the next Talk of Alaska.

HOST: Lori Townsend

GUESTS:

Ron Meehan - Policy and Advocacy Manager, Food Bank of Alaska

Jenn Brown - President, Ketchikan Agricultural Producers Association

PARTICIPATE:

Call 907-550-8422 (Anchorage) or 1-800-478-8255 (statewide) during the live broadcast.

Send an email to talk@alaskapublic.org (Comments may be read on air).

Post your comment during or after the live broadcast on social media (Comments may be read on air).

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Find help on the Food Bank of Alaska website

Ketchikan Agricultural Producers Association website

LIVE Broadcast: Tuesday, Nov. 15, at 10 a.m. on Alaska public radio stations statewide.