North America Food Insecurity Crisis
Recent Developments
012024 U.S. food insecurity remained elevated at 13.7% of households (18.3 million households), with 47.9 million people affected; USDA reported the rate was not statistically different from 2023.
02FRAC reported in 2024 that 14.1 million U.S. children lived in food-insecure households, and food insecurity remained higher among Black, Latinx, rural, and Southern households.
03Feeding America reported that more than 50 million people turned to food banks and pantries for help, underscoring continued strain on emergency food systems.
Interventions
- Food banks and pantry networks led by organizations such as Feeding America continue large-scale emergency food distribution.
- Federal nutrition assistance programs in the United States, including SNAP, remain a core anti-hunger intervention referenced in policy analysis and reporting.
- Community- and region-specific anti-hunger advocacy and research efforts continue through groups such as the Food Research & Action Center.
What Works
- Income-support and nutrition-assistance programs reduce food insecurity by helping households afford food; policy analysis identifies SNAP as a key protective measure.
- Targeted support for disproportionately affected groups, including children, Black and Latinx households, rural communities, and Indigenous communities, is supported by the evidence on where food insecurity is highest.
How to Help
- Donate to reputable food banks and anti-hunger organizations working across North America, including national and local networks.
- Volunteer with local food banks, pantries, and meal-distribution programs to help meet immediate demand.
- Advocate for stronger food-assistance, child-nutrition, and poverty-reduction policies at the federal, state, provincial, and local levels.
Make an Impact
Direct donations to verified organizations working on this crisis. Your contribution makes a difference.
Coming soon: one-click donations distributed across all organizations via our impact protocol.
Raise Awareness
Can't donate? You can still make a huge impact. Join others in amplifying this cause globally by sharing it with your network.
Verified Organizations
Organizations Helping(5)
Feeding America tackles food insecurity by operating a national network that distributes food quickly and reliably to local pantries and meal programs, rescuing surplus food, and partnering with farmers, retailers, policymakers, and community organizations. It also works on policy and advocacy to strengthen programs like SNAP, and publishes research and data to identify gaps and guide responses to hunger’s root causes.
FRAC addresses food insecurity by advocating for stronger public policies, conducting research, monitoring implementation of hunger and nutrition laws, and providing coordination, training, and technical assistance to state and local anti-hunger organizations. Its work supports programs and policy changes that improve access to nutritious food for low-income households.
The Global FoodBanking Network works by helping establish and scale food banking systems that collect surplus food and distribute it through local partners to people facing hunger. Its approach reduces food waste while improving food access through institutional food rescue and distribution networks.
Meals on Wheels America addresses hunger among seniors by funding and supporting local programs that deliver healthy meals to homebound older adults. It also provides leadership, education, research, and advocacy, and helps local programs include friendly visits and safety checks, which addresses both nutrition and isolation.
