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Food banks were created in the 1960s to redirect excess food to people facing hunger. While that mission remains central, a new literature review by researchers from the University’s Department of Nutrition and Extension unit highlights growing opportunities for food banks to expand beyond emergency food distribution and support public health goals. With broad reach, strong community trust and established infrastructure, food banks are well-positioned to play this role, especially as demand for emergency food continues to grow. 

Food banks began as a simple way to redirect surplus food to people in need. How has that model changed over time, and what has driven its evolution?

The core idea introduced by John Van Hengel, using surplus food to feed people in need, remains the foundation of food banks in the U.S. However, their role has expanded significantly.

Food recovery is still at the heart of what food banks do, but their role has grown well beyond that. Today, they’re part of a broader network that supports public health and community well-being, helping people access nutritious food in ways that respect dignity and meet real-life needs, not just distributing surplus items.

That shift has been driven by rising food insecurity, more people living with chronic health conditions, and the increasing cost of living and health care. The COVID-19 pandemic made their importance even clearer, showing how quickly food banks can adapt and step in to support communities during times of crisis.

The Covid-19 pandemic appears to have tested food banks in ways earlier crises did not. Based on your review, what did the pandemic reveal about the strengths and vulnerabilities of food banks?

The pandemic showed how quickly food banks can respond when demand rises. Many expanded their operations almost overnight by leaning on partnerships with retailers, farmers, distributors, community organizations and federal programs. Even with fewer staff, ongoing health risks and changing restrictions, food banks stayed open and showed they could be relied on when people needed help most.

At the same time, the pandemic exposed key challenges, especially the uncertainty around food donations and volunteer availability. Supply chain disruptions also created coordination problems, inefficiencies and, at times, food waste during periods of high demand. There were also ongoing concerns about limited control over the nutritional quality of donated food, especially for people managing chronic health conditions. These lessons matter as food banks plan for future emergencies.

What do these pandemic-era lessons suggest about how food banks might strengthen their readiness and resilience for future disruptions?

The pandemic offered important lessons in adaptability, innovation and policy change to better meet people’s basic needs. Food banks and other parts of the food system quickly adopted new distribution and collection strategies, including drive-through food pickup, expanded mobile distributions and stronger partnerships. The pandemic also underscored how closely connected the food system and the health care system are, especially in supporting community health during a crisis.

This study reviews more than a decade of research on food banks. How did you decide which studies to include, and what steps did you take to ensure the review reflects reliable and credible evidence?

We conducted a systematic review to map existing research on food banks, identify gaps and help guide future work. We analyzed 123 studies published over the past 12 years, drawing from major databases including PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science and Embase.

We followed established review standards to ensure a transparent and consistent process and used Covidence software, available through the University library, to manage screening and data extraction. These steps helped reduce errors and ensure the findings are based on reliable, high-quality evidence.

The studies span rural, frontier, and urban communities. Did the review reveal meaningful differences in the challenges food banks face depending on where they operate?

In rural and frontier communities, food banks often face access issues such as long travel distances, fewer distribution sites and limited infrastructure, including cold storage and staffing. In these areas, even a small disruption can affect an entire community.

In Nevada, for example, mountainous terrain and extreme weather can lead to road closures that interrupt supply chains and ripple through local food delivery systems. Even when resources are similar to those in urban areas, coverage in rural and frontier communities often remains limited.

Urban food pantries, by contrast, tend to struggle more with balancing supply and demand. Rapid increases in need, along with challenges related to traffic, parking and access to public transportation, are common. While access is a concern in both rural and urban settings, its consequences are often more severe in rural and frontier communities, where alternatives are few and disruptions are harder to absorb.

Food banks were designed to meet urgent food needs, but the literature review shows that nutritional guidelines for donated foods are often limited. What does this mean for vulnerable groups like children, pregnant women, and people with chronic health conditions?

The review highlights a significant gap in research on how food bank offerings affect people managing chronic health conditions. Out of 123 studies reviewed, only seven focused specifically on chronic disease, underscoring how little is known about this issue. This gap is especially concerning given that population-level data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a database of telephone surveys on health issues, shows that about 33% of Nevada households include someone with more than one chronic condition.

Because food banks rely heavily on donated food, they have minimal control over nutritional quality. From a prevention standpoint, this makes it difficult to consistently provide children with whole, minimally processed foods and limit exposure to highly processed items that contribute to obesity and increase the risk of chronic disease later in life. Pregnant women face similar challenges, as donated foods may meet calorie needs but fall short on essential micronutrients.

From a disease management perspective, regular access to foods high in salt and added sugars can worsen conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. Increasing access to whole foods, lower-sodium options and sugar-free products are promising strategies, but more research is needed to understand what works and how food banks can realistically implement these changes.

While food banks are actively working to address these challenges, they face pressures that are often beyond their control, including rising demand and the unpredictable nature of donations.

The literature points to nutrition education and stronger partnerships with local food producers and health systems as more sustainable ways to support healthier food choices among people who rely on food assistance.

After everything the research shows, from the pandemic to nutrition challenges, what gives you optimism about how food banks can evolve to support both immediate needs and long‑term health?

The research points to real opportunities within the food bank system. While supporting people with chronic health conditions is still a newer focus, food banks are well-positioned to take it on. Instead of building something entirely new, there’s a chance to strengthen a system that already exists. One that’s trusted and reaches people at scale.

There’s also growing progress in how food banks operate. Improvements in logistics, data and supply coordination can help reduce waste, improve efficiency and make sure food gets to the people who need it most. With the right partnerships, especially with health care providers, local food systems and community organizations, food banks could also play a bigger role in preventing and managing chronic disease.

Most importantly, the pandemic showed just how adaptable food banks can be. Their ability to respond under pressure is a strong sign that they can continue to evolve — meeting immediate needs while also supporting long-term health.