Food Banks Feel Pinch in Tight Economic Times
March 20, 2008 | Read Time: 1 minute
For a number of related reasons, food banks in the United States have seen demands on food increase while their purchasing power has declined, reports The Wall Street Journal.
Rising fuel costs, a slumping housing market, and increased unemployment have pushed more people to food banks than ever before. Some groups estimate demand has risen 20 percent in just a year.
However, food banks have a hard time meeting that demand because commodity prices have increased while support from government-aid programs has not. In addition, grains such as corn that were once given away as surplus have either been turned into alternative fuels or sold oversees to shore up a weakening U.S. dollar.
Some charities have relied on food drives run by schools and other civic groups to make up for shortfalls. Others have found that trading cheap local produce with food banks in other parts of the country — like potatoes in Idaho for citrus fruits in California — has helped them provide a variety of food.
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