What is Food Insecurity?

Food security refers to the consistent access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food for a healthy lifestyle. We used to refer to these areas without this access to food as "food deserts," but now we more appropriately call them food insecure.

Key aspects of food insecurity include:

  • Limited Availability: Not having enough food readily available or transportation to get more food.
  • Financial Uncertainty: Not knowing if or when they will be able to acquire food.
  • Nutritional Inadequacy: Available food not be healthy or provide essential nutrients for an active, healthy life.
  • Stigma & Shame: Feeling stress or personal fault leading to avoiding social safety programs (i.e. food pantries or SNAP). 

Defining Food Insecurity

For a neighborhood to be food secure it should meet these standards of Availability, Accessibility, Affordability and Appropriateness.
 
 

Check out our 2025 Healthy Food Access Map to see where you can find food for your family and data to learn more about hunger in Nevada. Developed in collaboration with RTC of Southern Nevada.

When it doesn’t meet even one of these standards, the area is considered food insecure. 

Availability - Is food consistently stocked, fresh, and meeting the capacity of the neighborhood it serves? 

Accessibility - Is the location close enough to walk to or near public transportation routes in the neighborhood it serves?

Affordability - Is food priced fairly for the median income of the residents for the neighborhood it serves?

Appropriateness - Are the types of items stocked providing enough variety to meet the cultural, health, and age diversity of the neighborhood it serves? 

 

What Does Food Insecurity Look Like in Your Community? 

community sharing food


When you’re hungry, where do you go to get food?

Imagine your pantry at home is empty, you don’t have a car, and there is no grocery store within walking distance of you. What options do you have left? 

Think about your neighborhood and the way that your community is set up for access to food, information, and support?

 What options are easily accessible and what options are harder to reach?

Food Access Landscape Assessment (FALA)

This is a report with the data on the realities of food insecurity just like described above and highlights what the options are currently in Southern Nevada. Learn more about what food grows in Nevada, how food in Nevada gets ready for the market, and where to find it in your neighborhood. 

 What is the FALA?

This resource helps with understanding and improving food security in our community. Recognizing that access to nutritious food should be a universal right, FALA examines the barriers food access programs face—whether due to economic challenges, geographic limitations, or systemic gaps—and serves as a resource that highlights ongoing initiatives aimed at improving food security in Southern Nevada. The programs are organized across the food system so you can find food services from seed to table. See image below for a basic food system example.

food system

Led collaboratively by the Southern Nevada Food Council (SNFC), the Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD), and supported by the CDC-funded REACH program, our mission is to foster a sustainable, equitable, and community-driven food system. By uniting local organizations, agencies, and community members, we strive to enhance food access, promote health equity, and empower neighborhoods to support each other. Through research, advocacy, and action, FALA aims to guide policies and programs that create a healthier and more food secure Southern Nevada.

Goals

  • Identify gaps in food access
  • Highlight and promote ongoing community efforts to encourage coordination of efforts
  • Support long-term food security strategies
  • Guide policymakers and stakeholders