With food prices on the rise and federal spending cuts, food pantries across the country are struggling to keep up with demand. As more Americans turn to these vital services for assistance, supply chain disruptions, inflation, and corporate pricing strategies continue to make it harder for food banks to stock their shelves. Now, communities are stepping up to find solutions, but the challenges remain daunting.
Food cost
From war to corporate greed, there are many reasons as to why the cost of food is so high. With the rate of hourly pay not changing and everything else getting more expensive, it is harder for the average American family to be fed.
“The cost of food has increased by 31% since 2019, driven by a variety of factors,” Harvey Bertrum, an economic expert researching trends related to food costs, said. “While inflation is certainly a contributing factor, there are additional underlying factors that also influence the rising prices of food."
One of these factors is fuel. The price of fuel has skyrocketed significantly within the last few years, which forces farmers to charge more for their products. They need the diesel to fuel their machines, and when the diesel is really expensive, it trickles down to the consumer.
“The cost of living has risen across the board, and it’s a direct result of cause and effect. When we increase costs for those at the top of the supply chain who produce the food, consumers inevitably bear the impact when prices reach the bottom,” Bertrum said.
Higher material prices contribute to higher meat prices. Things like feed are costly, making it expensive to feed the animals. This in turn makes it expensive to buy higher-quality meat.
Another factor that contributes to the cost of food is simply supply chain issues.
For example, the COVID-19 pandemic created more of a need for people to have groceries rather than eating out. At this time, consumers were worried that they would not be able to get to the stores to get the things that they need, causing panic buying. Due to health regulations and the uncertainty of the pandemic, these companies were not able to swiftly make up for the demand for groceries. Production slowed down significantly on goods.
Another thing people talk about when discussing food prices is the price of eggs. This is another issue with food and supply distribution. Starting in 2020, the bird flu ravaged through the U.S. population of egg laying hens. Due to this, there are less chickens able to lay eggs, making eggs expensive for the consumer. This is also the reason why chicken is expensive, as there is also a shortage of chickens to cook.
Additionally, another example of world events affecting food prices is the war in Ukraine. According to the Department of Agriculture, the country is known for producing 9% of the world's wheat and 12% of the world's corn. Ukraine is currently going through one of the worst wars they have ever seen; as a result, they are not able to effectively produce their usual goods. This raises the prices of grain items.
To simplify, part of the reason why we are having such big problems with food cost boils down to supply and demand.
“Supply and demand is a fundamental concept—it's a cause-and-effect system that, whether we like it or not, ultimately impacts consumers,” said Bertrum.
Corporate greed is another reason why food costs are high. These corporations are putting a significant price hike on foods to make profits. Combined with corporate mergers, that are taking certain grocery stores away and feeding into the company's bottom line. Additionally, companies are starting to alter the size of packages while keeping the price the same, if not raising it, to make more profit.
The consumers are having to pay more for less. Former President Joe Biden refers to this as “shrinkflation”.
“Take the Kroger for example,” Bertrum explained, “they've been found to significantly raise the price of milk by about 10%. While they attribute the increase to inflation, an investigation during their merger case with Albertsons and the FTC revealed that they don't actually need to charge such a high price for milk.”
Food pantries
The simplest definition of a food pantry is a place that you could go to get food if you do not have food. Most of them are through non-profit organizations that work with suppliers that get money through federal funding, to get food to give to consumers.
There has been a significant hike in food pantry attendance following the pandemic, as many Americans lost their jobs and were forced to rely on these food pantries to feed their families.
According to Feeding America, 53 million Americans have been relying on food pantries since 2022. Feeding America is a network of food pantry and food bank resources, having over 200 different food banks in their network of 21 states. They partner with different assistance programs to bring food to Americans.
“Our mission is to ensure that every American in need has access to food assistance,” a spokesperson said. "We collaborate with a variety of local partners to help fulfill this mission and provide support to those who require it.”
One of the organizations that is partnered with Feeding America in the Dayton area is Foodbank Inc. Foodbank Inc resides in the Montgomery County area, and they serve the greater Dayton area. They have several different food pantries that are committed to supplying food to Dayton residents. At the heart of these pantries are volunteers, they are there because they want to help people.
“I've been volunteering for this food pantry since I was a boy scout,” Joseph, a volunteer at a food pantry in Eaton, Ohio, said. “It was one of our badges, but I fell in love with doing it and I've been volunteering ever since.”
But like consumers, these food banks are experiencing issues of their own. Between inflation and supply and demand, the offerings at these food banks are becoming very sparse. Additionally, executive orders attacking funding towards these food pantries have forced some of them to close their doors temporarily.
“We can't open because we can't get food,” Cheryl, a volunteer worker at the H.E.L.P House in London, Ohio, said.
Like other food pantries in the area, they have been affected by funding cuts and inflation. They have seen a decrease in food options for their guests within the last few years.
“It started in the pandemic,” Cheryl explained. “We would get our shipment and say, 'This is it?' But we would always make it work. With our supply companies not being able to give us our food, it's getting significantly harder to stay open.”
Currently, the grocery store-like food pantry is temporarily closed. Citizens of London in Clark, Madison or Champaign counties that need food are forced to go to other food pantries, such as the ones in Clark County. This is obviously not ideal, as people who use food pantries often have little money and would have to use their gas to get to the closest food bank in Springfield.
How can we help?
One of the easiest ways to help food pantries is to volunteer and to donate when you can. Most food pantries have a website where you can donate money. This money goes to the food pantries and shelters that help underprivileged people. If you can't donate, volunteering is a great way of helping out these food pantries. The more people that help pass out the food, the more food that can be passed out.
If you need help, visit the Foodbank Inc's website to find local food pantries near you. If you are in the Clark County area, visit the website for the United Way of Clark, Madison, and Champaign County. They have resources to connect you to a food bank near you.
Additionally, if you are a Wright State University student, there is a student only food pantry on campus to utilize. Go to the website to make an appointment.
