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UW Food Security Taskforce

The UW Food Security Taskforce is a coalition of students, staff, faculty, and administrators that plans and guides the University of Wyoming’s work to end student food insecurity.

What is food (in)security?

According to the USDA (2020) food insecurity is "the limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods or limited or uncertain ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways.”

  1. High food securityHouseholds had no problems, or anxiety about, consistently accessing adequate food.
  2. Marginal food security—Households had problems at times, or anxiety about, accessing adequate food, but the quality, variety, and quantity of their food intake were not substantially reduced.
  3. Low food security—Households reduced the quality, variety, and desirability of their diets, but the quantity of food intake and normal eating patterns were not substantially disrupted.
  4. Very low food security—At times during the year, eating patterns of one or more household members were disrupted and food intake reduced because the household lacked money and other resources for food.” (USDA, 2020)

Learn about food security history at UW.

An inverted triangle with the levels of food security

Every Poke Nourished!


Our Mission

The mission of the UW Food Security Taskforce is to end student food insecurity at UW through a range of interrelated strategies. While student food security is our primary mission, we additionally support strategies that ultimately aim to end staff food and financial insecurity and related challenges within our broader community. In this way, our mission is to ensure that every Poke is nourished.

Guiding Values

Dignity and respect

Prioritizing dignity and respect for students and others as whole people through a sharing ethos.

Sharing good, high-quality food

Securing good food to support variety, appealing choices, health and wellbeing, dietary restrictions, and culturally appropriate options for all.

Coordination and systemic solutions

  • Advancing multiple high-impact, coordinated, and sustainable strategies to reduce student food insecurity over the long-term.

  • Adopting a systemic approach that considers the underlying factors leading to food and overall financial insecurity.

  • Maintaining a focus on student food insecurity, while supporting efforts to address other factors of food and financial insecurity across the UW community.

Amplifying student voices

Amplifying students’ and other constituents’ voices and perspectives, as those affected by food insecurity, in order to move toward food justice.

Contact Us

UW Food Security Taskforce

Laramie, WY 82071

Email: uwfoodsecurity@uwyo.edu

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