ATLANTA — The four-city U.S. Conference of Mayors tour concluded in Atlanta on Thursday, with Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens joining several mayors to discuss ways to address food insecurity amid rising costs.

Dickens touted partnerships with independent grocery stores, including the Azalea Fresh Market, to provide produce without the price increasing.

Even with the city’s help, it has been difficult for residents to deal with rising costs.

“They’re fighting up against a big bear of a system that has a lot of extravagant costs associated with the War in Iran and high fuel prices,” Dickens said.

According to Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval, there needs to be federal action to support local efforts aiming to reduce everyday costs.

“This is not about blame,” Pureval said. “This is about identifying the problem and asking congress instead of making cuts and diverting resources to billionaires. Invest into the neighborhoods and the people on the ground.”

Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam says the U.S. Conference of Mayors has been stopping in several cities to talk to residents.

“The U.S. Conference of Mayors have put together this affordability tour to talk about the costs of childcare, the cost of housing, the cost of healthcare, the cost of food that is crushing ordinary Americans,” Arulampalam said.

Dickens says city partnerships with independent grocery stores and non-profits is important to try to keep their operational costs down.