ATHENS, Ga. — A new study from the University of Georgia reveals that more than 50 million people across the United States sought food from pantries and charitable organizations in 2023.
However, the UGA study found that many still face challenges accessing the food they need, especially those living in more affluent areas.
The research indicates that areas with less concentrated poverty often have fewer food pantries, making it more difficult for food-insecure individuals to obtain assistance.
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While it may seem logical to have fewer food pantries in areas with lower poverty rates, this geographic disparity means individuals experiencing food insecurity in these regions struggle to access essential aid.
UGA researchers said the issue highlights a gap between where food assistance resources are, and how it is provided to those in need.
The project, known as the Georgia Hunger Study, is a collaborative effort involving the University of Georgia, the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension, the Georgia Department of Human Services and Feeding Georgia.
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Feeding Georgia coordinates efforts among state food banks and the national nonprofit Feeding America. The study team gathered data from surveys and focus groups at more than 2,000 food pantries across Georgia.
Jerry Shannon, the corresponding author of the study and an associate professor at UGA’s Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Family and Consumer Sciences and the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, noted the distribution of need in the Atlanta metro area.
“A lot of food insecure folks live in the southern half of the Atlanta metro area, where income levels tend to be lower,” Shannon said. “Because of that, there are also a lot of agencies there who are serving those populations.”
Shannon said the north and northeast metro areas were the most underserved.
“There, poverty is a little less concentrated and more dispersed, so you don’t have as many agencies available to help the people who need it,” Shannon said.
The researchers also found that reliable transportation is a significant barrier for many who depend on food banks.
“People’s ability to go and access food is highly reliant on their access to reliable, affordable transportation options,” Shannon said.
He said the challenge less in getting food to agencies so much as helping people find accessible and open agencies.
Food banks themselves contend with operational difficulties, with many reporting understaffing, which complicates planning, coordination and record-keeping efforts.
The research found that increased collaboration among food banks could help bridge gaps in underserved regions, allowing for coordinated food distribution at various times to accommodate clients’ work schedules.
Some food pantries also provide information about social services like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or exploring options such as providing credits for Uber rides.
Shannon said there was potential for food agencies to serve as more than just immediate food sources.
“If we could think about these agencies not just as an immediate source of food in that moment but as places that can connect people to the kinds of social services that provide a more robust safety net for them, that can also be really useful,” Shannon said.
He suggested focusing on helping individuals in access gaps reach existing agencies with food and other relevant resources, rather than solely establishing new agencies.
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