Over the past month, the topic of food insecurity in America has received increased coverage in the mainstream press. With the federal government shutting down, Americans were exposed to just how important the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) really was.
This vital and important program sustains approximately one in eight Americans. A demographic in America that is remarkably vulnerable to food insecurity are college students. With Thanksgiving approaching, it’s vital to acknowledge the fact that many of your peers may not have an adequate diet during the holiday season.
The Veggie Van is essentially a mobile farmers market, with the goal of providing adequate, healthy and nutritious food. In a 2023 survey conducted by the UB Veggie Van, an estimated 50% to 60% of UB students reported some form of food insecurity.
“One in two students are reporting some form of food insecurity at UB’s campus. And that rate has continued to sustain over the past two years,” says Leah Vermont, the Assistant Director of Community Outreach and Partnerships. The Veggie Van is a project of the Community Health Interventions Lab, which is part of the School of Public Health. According to Vermont, the project dates back to 2023, when the lab received a grant to start an initial pilot program to study and ease food insecurity among the student body.
“We recruited a small group of food insecure students to follow over the semester… having access to the Veggie Van, how did it improve those things? We saw that for that pilot, [and then] we did a second pilot, that students were improving in their food insecurity, and their fruit and veggie consumption. Alongside that pilot, we also implemented… a campus-wide survey to understand the current rates of food insecurity on campus.”
According to Vermont, food insecurity is undercounted per the U.S. Department of Agriculture because it only covers access to food. The definition of food insecurity conducted by the Community Health Interventions Lab is broader than the official government estimates, it takes into account nutrition access as well. For the purposes of their study: “Nutrition security is defined as having consistent availability and affordability of foods and beverages that promote well-being and prevent, if needed, disease.” The study also takes into account if the food is culturally relevant to students, which is important to UB considering the large international population.
Despite the broader definition, Vermont wants to emphasize that “regardless of what definition you’re using, we’re still seeing extremely high rates on our campus that are reflective of the national average of student food insecurity.”
Vermont believes that there are several reasons as to why food insecurity is higher among college students than the national. One reason is that historically, college has been prioritized to the upper strata of society — “The demographic of students has changed dramatically over the past 10 to 20 years… the structure of our system has not caught up.”
She points that beliefs of college students often assume that nutritional sacrifices are a given, such as the stereotype of the college student in their dorm eating their ramen.
Charles Humphrey, the market assistant for the lab, concurs: “Even if you’re not starving, you’re not caring for yourself and it’s just an implied part of the sacrifice that doesn’t have to be.”
The stressful life of college students in general makes them more vulnerable to food insecurity. “A lot of the focus groups and things that we’ve done as part of this research with our students [have found] you guys are busy, you’re trying to get to your classes, you may have a job. The last thing that you have time for is to actually care for yourself,” Vermont said.
College is also when most young people begin to live independently. She thinks that this is a significant factor: “You’re learning new things, new skills, you can’t cook for yourselves often, you’re learning how to budget.”
Food insecurity naturally is a public health concern for college students. “We know that when students are [food insecure] there are tons of physical issues, mental health issues and students who are more food insecure are less likely to graduate.”
What UB offers is also an issue: “When you look at something like campus and dining, they provide food but there is no place on campus to get some fresh produce… students have said that it’s high-priced, the quality is not what they want it to be.”
The lab has recently received outside grants to expand the Veggie Van with the goal of having six different markets, across all three campuses. Vermont estimates that on average, the van gets 30 customers on Monday on South Campus, and 80 on Wednesday at North. Most notably, there will now be a market in a housing area that has yet to be decided.
Humphrey says that “we’ve been hearing a lot of desire from students that that’s a place that they’re looking for us to be.”
Students can find the Veggie Van between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. at Harriman Hall on Mondays, and between 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. at Capen Hall on Wednesdays.
Jacob Wojtowicz is an assistant features editor and can be reached at jacob.wojtowicz@ubspectrum.com
Dining and Cooking