Food Security in The Columbia River Gorge:

The Six Dimensions of Food Security &

Data Walk of the 2025 Food Security Assessment

May 2026 | Columbia Gorge Food Security Coalition

Prepared by Lauren Kraemer, OSU Extension Service

The Six Dimensions of Food Security¹²

Availability

Availability is the physical presence of foods. Availability refers to individuals having enough quantity, sufficient quality, and nutritional foods physically present in a person’s environment. This

includes the supply and distribution of foods at stores, markets, gardens, and other places where individuals obtain food.

Access

Access is the resources and means to obtain foods. Access refers to individual or household resources and means needed to obtain appropriate and nutritious foods. This includes both economic and physical resources. This dimension also considers the level of resources needed to ensure that access to food does not compromise satisfactory access to other basic needs like housing or health care.

Utilization

Utilization is the intake of sufficient and safe foods. It refers to the intake of sufficient and safe food and water to meet nutritional needs. This includes individuals’ knowledge, skills, and confidence in planning meals and buying, preparing, and cooking foods. It also includes their access to food safety knowledge, skills, tools, and resources.

Agency

Agency is the power to make decisions about foods eaten and produced. As a dimension of food security, agency refers to individuals’ and communities’ capacity to make decisions and take actions to shape their own relationships with food and food systems.

This includes making choices about what they eat, the foods they produce, and how they are produced, processed, and distributed.

Sustainability

Sustainability is the food system’s ability to provide long-term food security. It refers to food system practices that contribute to the long-term regeneration of natural, social, and economic systems, ensuring the food needs of present generations are met without compromising the food needs of future generations.

Stability

Stability is the reliable supply of foods over time. Stability in food security refers to maintaining adequacy in food availability, access, and utilization over time. Stability in these dimensions must be maintained during sudden, short-term shocks and cyclical or seasonal changes. For example, the ability to maintain food availability, access, and utilization during a seasonal job layoff, the onset of a health condition, periods of inflation, or natural disaster.

¹² HLPE. 2020. Food security and nutrition: building a global narrative towards 2030. A report by the High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition of the Committee on World Food Security, Rome.

Data & Demographics

Data:

• The survey received responses from a wide swath of our community.
• Many incomes, races, ethnicities, ages, and occupations are represented.

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Discussion:

• Who is missing from our data?
• What other ways can we fill in the gaps of missing data?

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3

Notes:

Station 1: Food Security Experiences

Data:

• 49% worry about food running out of food
• ~42% say food didn’t last

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Discussion:

• What stands out?
• Who is most affected?
• Does this reflect what you are seeing in the community?

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4

Nearly half of households experience some level of food insecurity.

Notes:

Station 2: Where People Get Food

Data:

• Most rely on large grocery stores
• Also use pantries, gardens, restaurants

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Discussion:

• What patterns do you see?
• What does this tell us about our local food system?
• What might be missing from this picture?

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5

Notes:

Station 3: Barriers to Access

Data:

• Top barrier: High food costs
• Other barriers: transportation, time, distance
• Many spend 30 min–2+ hours getting food
• Some travel 20–60+ miles

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Discussion:

• Which barriers matter most?
• Which of these can we realistically change?
• Which groups face the most barriers at once?
• What stands out about travel time and distance?

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6

Cost is the dominant barrier—by a wide margin.

Accessing food requires significant time for many households.

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Notes:

Station 4: Food Values

Data:

Top priorities:

• Fresh
• Nutritious
• Budget-friendly

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Discussion:

• Where are there tensions (e.g. cost vs. quality)?
• How can programs better align with these values?

7

People prioritize healthy food—but affordability is a challenge.

Notes:

Station 5: Programs & Opportunities

Data:

• Many know about programs, fewer use them
• High interest in cooking, gardening, preservation

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Discussion:

• What opportunities exist?
• What gets in the way of participation?
• Where are opportunities to improve outreach?

8

Notes:

Group Reflection

• What surprised you?
• What feels most urgent?
• What gives you hope?
• What systems are driving the differences we see?
• What questions do you still have?

9

Notes: