Hunger in the heartland may become harder to spot and fix, some warn, as the federal government axed a longstanding report on those struggling to find their next meal.

"Food insecurity isn't just a number on a page," said Eric Savaiano, the program manager for food and nutrition access with Nebraska Appleseed. "It is evidence of people not having the food that they need in communities."

USDA nixed the Household Food Security Report after calling it "redundant, costly, politicized, and extraneous."

Savaiano takes issue with that characterization, and said it's crucial to understand the contours of hunger in America.

"It was started 30 years ago by a Democrat, but since then it's been used all throughout the country by presidents, USDA and others," Savaiano said.

Savaiano said between 2

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