N.C. Congresswoman Alma Adams Talks about Ending Hunger

Congresswoman Adams believes easier access to healthy foods is a big national priority. She is shown here with Helena Bottemiller Evich, Politico’s Senior Food and Agriculture reporter. Photo by Michael Schwarz.

If the United States wants to make healthy food a priority, we need to make changes, especially with our elected officials. That’s the conclusion of Congresswoman Alma Adams, Ph.D., elected in November 2018 to her third term in the U.S. House of Representatives, North Carolina 12th Congressional District.

The congresswoman spoke with me about childhood nutrition, minimum wage, food insecurity, living wages and local foods in this article for Kellogg Fellows Leadership Alliance.

“It should be a right for everyone to have access to good quality food and be able to afford it,” said Adams, a Kellogg Fellow. “Policymakers should put themselves in the place of the people we are sworn to serve. We need policymakers to develop greater compassion for our communities. If you have money to feed yourself and your family, you aren’t going to understand my pain.”

Congresswoman Adams with Bill Bolling, founder of Atlanta Community Food Bank. Photo by Michael Schwarz.