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Excited to share my research on food insecurity among farming families in the US and Ghana at University of Pretoria.

🌾 When Federal Funding Stops, Rural Communities Feel It First

The ripple effects of a federal government shutdown are not only economic — they are deeply public health issues, especially in minority rural agricultural communities.

From delayed nutrition assistance (SNAP, WIC) to stalled USDA and public health extension programs, shutdowns disrupt access to healthy food, healthcare, and vital community services. For farm families already facing economic precarity, these interruptions can mean missed doctor visits, gaps in preventive care, and increased stress that fuels chronic disease.

Minority agricultural communities — who often carry the double burden of racial health disparities and rural inequities — are left most vulnerable. When safety nets are paused, food insecurity rises, mental health suffers, and preventable illnesses go unchecked.

As a land-grant institution and public health professionals, we must highlight these inequities and push for solutions that protect health in rural America — especially in times of political uncertainty.

💡 It’s time we recognize that a government shutdown is not just a policy impasse; it’s a public health crisis for those least able to bear it.

What is Public Health? Episode 1 of "That's Public Health" Learn the basics of public health and why it's important in the first episode of the "That's Public Health" web series from APHA and Complexly. Subscribe to ...