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By Leticia Nevárez Zavala

In one of the most agriculturally productive regions of Texas, thousands of families in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) still struggle to put food on the table.

That contradiction should alarm policymakers and the public alike.

Food insecurity in the RGV is not caused by poor individual choices or lack of effort. It is the predictable outcome of decades of poverty, wage inequality, inadequate infrastructure, and political neglect.

More than 20 percent of residents in the RGV experience food insecurity, a rate that exceeds national averages and disproportionately affects Hidalgo, Starr, Cameron, and Willacy counties. Behind those numbers are parents skipping meals so their children can eat, older adults choosing between medication and groceries, and families relying on convenience stores because they lack transportation to full-service supermarkets.

For many residents, especially those living in colonias and rural communities, access to healthy food is shaped by geography and inequality. Limited public transportation makes it difficult to reach grocery stores. Healthcare shortages compound chronic illnesses such as diabetes and hypertension, conditions already prevalent in the region. According to recent reporting on chronic illness rates in the Rio Grande Valley, the region experiences disproportionately high rates of Type 2 diabetes, obesity, and related chronic conditions tied to poverty and healthcare disparities. Historical disinvestment in predominantly Latino/a/x communities has created food deserts and basic services gaps that continue to isolate vulnerable populations. According to Feeding America’s food-desert mapping data, many communities across South Texas continue to face limited access to affordable, nutritious food. 

Food insecurity is also deeply tied to economic inequality and uneven regional development. Many working families in the RGV remain trapped in low-wage employment that fails to keep pace with rising housing, healthcare, and food costs. According to South Texas College ‘s analysis on income inequality in the Rio Grande Valley, the region continues to experience persistent poverty and income disparities that disproportionately affect children and working-class families, limiting long-term economic mobility and community investment. Further, U.S. Census data demonstrates that poverty rates across the RGV region remain significantly higher than state and national averages, reinforcing cycles of economic instability and food insecurity. 

Children bear some of the harshest consequences. Research consistently shows that food insecurity negatively affects cognitive development, educational achievement, and long-term health outcomes. In the RGV, where many families already face economic instability, hunger reinforces cycles of poverty that can persist across generations. According to RGV Health Connect child food insecurity data, children in the region continue to experience disproportionately high rates of food insecurity. When children cannot focus in school because they are hungry, the issue is no longer simply about food. It is about educational equity, public health, and social justice.

Despite these barriers, communities across the Valley continue to demonstrate resilience. Local food banks, schools, promotores de salud, mutual aid networks, and nonprofit organizations work tirelessly to close the gap left by inadequate policy responses. According to the Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley’s Community Impact Data, hundreds of thousands of individuals across the region rely on emergency food assistance, school meal initiatives, and nonprofit-driven nutrition programs each year. Community organizations and meal initiatives have become essential lifelines for families facing economic hardship and food insecurity. The Food Bank RGV reports providing more than 38 million meals annually through a network of partner agencies serving communities across Hidalgo, Cameron, and Willacy counties. 

Programs such as school meal initiatives, WIC services, and community pantries provide critical support for families who might otherwise go without. But charitable efforts alone cannot solve a structural problem.

Texas and federal policymakers must move beyond temporary solutions and address the root causes of food insecurity. Expanding SNAP eligibility, investing in public transportation, improving healthcare access, and supporting equitable economic development in colonias and rural communities are not acts of charity. They are necessary human capital investments. The RGV does not lack resilience or community strength. What it lacks is sustained institutional commitment.

Food insecurity is not a personal failing. It reflects broader patterns of inequality that shape who have access to stable housing, healthcare, transportation, and opportunity. If we are serious about improving the health and future of the RGV, we must stop treating hunger as an isolated issue and begin recognizing it as a policy failure that demands collective action.

The RGV deserves more than survival assistance. Our communities deserve human capital investments and collaboration that create opportunities for families to thrive. 

Editor’s Note: The above guest column was penned by Leticia Nevárez Zavala, an applied sociologist, community health worker, and lecturer of sociology at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. She is also a Latino Texas Policy Center Fellow whose work focuses on social inequality, public health, and community well-being in South Texas. The column appears in the Rio Grande Guardian with the permission of the author.