Since last September, we have been receiving inquiries about the cancelation of the USDA’s annual household food insecurity survey. For nearly 30 years, this survey offered a reliable national picture of food insecurity in the United States. Its absence raises an important question: without this data, how will charitable food organizations, policymakers, researchers, and communities understand, and respond to, hunger?
We have an encouraging answer: our hyper-local and highly reliable Meal Deficit Metric (MDM) continues to fill this gap. Many organizations across the country already rely on the MDM to assess need, direct charitable food distribution, and support data-informed decision-making.
Filling the Gap Left by the USDA Survey
This decision comes amid broader uncertainty around federal food policy. Recently, I explored the proposed
SNAP retailer changes
and what they could mean for food access on the ground. These shifts, along with the end of the USDA survey, raise urgent questions about how communities will continue to measure and respond to hunger.
If you haven’t read it yet, check out my last blog on proposed SNAP changes and how they could impact food security
. You can read more here.
How the Meal Deficit Metric (MDM) Works
The MDM pinpoints and quantifies the number of meals households miss because they cannot afford them. We net out all known ways food is acquired: earned income, government nutrition programs, food banks, and help from friends and family. What remains is a clear, defensible estimate of unmet need.
How localized is the MDM? In Florida alone, we have partitioned the state into more than 13,600 small geographic areas, generating MDM scores for each one. This level of granularity allows communities to see hunger not just as a statewide average, but as a block-by-block reality. Interested in exploring this data further? You can access public MDM reports on our website here.
Built on Multiple Verified Data Inputs
Our model is built on many independent and verified data sources. In the past, this included raw data from the USDA’s annual survey, but it was never
dependent on that survey alone
. As one colleague recently asked:
“We rely on your missing meals model to direct charitable food. Can it continue without the USDA data?”
The answer is yes.
What’s Next for Hunger Data Models
The USDA’s decision to end nearly 30 years of consistent data collection was devastating, but not entirely unexpected. Early last year, we anticipated this possibility and began developing work-arounds to ensure our research and modeling could continue seamlessly for the next five years.
The loss of the USDA survey reinforces the importance of having independent, transparent, and actionable data models that can serve communities directly, like the MDM. With its foundation in multiple, validated data inputs, the MDM remains highly accurate and fully functional.
How MDM Helps
The MDM continues to help by enabling:
- Charitable organizations
to target food distribution more precisely - Policymakers
to design data-informed programs grounded in local realities - Communities
to advocate for resources using transparent, defensible metrics
This isn’t just about data; it’s a call to action.
Looking Ahead: Our Ongoing Commitment to Food Access
We remain persistently hopeful and fully committed to this work. The Meal Deficit Metric will continue to evolve, expanding its reach, refining its inputs, and sharpening its focus on the communities that need it most.
Even as federal data collection shifts, the responsibility to understand hunger does not disappear. Independent, hyper-local models like the MDM ensure that families are not rendered invisible simply because a survey ends.
Together, we can continue building a healthier, more equitable food system, one that leaves
no family unseen.
Join the Effort to Strengthen Food Access Data
If you are a researcher, policymaker, or organization interested in collaborating, we invite you to
connect with us.
Who Is Mari Gallagher?
Mari Gallagher, founder and principal of Mari Gallagher Research & Consulting Group, is a nationally recognized expert in food access, grocery market analysis, hyperlocal data modelling, and community health impacts. She popularized the term “food desert,” helped motivate billions in investment into underserved areas, and continues to shape public policy and on-the-ground programs nationwide. Mari is a market maverick with community development experience in housing and retail, including the development of a 75-million-dollar shopping center anchored by a mainstream grocery store.
