ARKANSAS, USA — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is ending its Household Food Security Report, which has tracked hunger rates across the country since the 1990s.

The report often ranked Arkansas among the hungriest states in America. According to USDA, the Natural State has the highest food insecurity rate in the country.

Kent Eikenberry, president and CEO of the Northwest Arkansas food bank, said ending the report doesn’t change the reality that hunger remains a major issue in Arkansas.

“I promise you, you know somebody who’s food insecure,” Eikenberry said. “Just because the USDA is no longer going to report food insecurity, it’s not automatically going to go away.”

Eikenberry said inflation is one of the biggest factors driving hunger across the region.

“People are work

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