Date of Graduation

8-2023

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Agricultural Economics (MS)

Degree Level

Graduate

Department

Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness

Advisor/Mentor

Nalley, Lawton L.

Committee Member

Fang, Di

Second Committee Member

Nayga, Rodolfo M. Jr.

Third Committee Member

McFadden, Brandon R.

Keywords

Food pantries; Barrier to entry; SNAP; Gender disparities; Race disparities

Abstract

Given the rise in food inflation, reduction of SNAP benefits, and the increased demand for food pantry participation, a more holistic understanding of potential barriers to obtaining assistance from non-Federally regulated food pantries is warranted. In May of 2022, 625 surveys were administered to low-income participants in the United States who participated in food collection from a food pantry in the previous month. Those participants were asked to select what information they were asked to provide during their visit, including home address, place of employment, Social Security card, driver’s license, household size, blood test, or others. Some forms of the required information needed to participate can be identified as a barrier to entry because it could be viewed as a deterrent to a segment of potential food pantry participants. This study found that the average number of barriers (pieces of information required) experienced across all respondents was 2.4 barriers to participation. Additionally, this study found that minorities (including Hispanic/Latino, African American, Native Hawaii/Pacific Islander, Mixed, Asian, and American Indian/Alaskan Native) are 12% more likely to experience high (three or more) barriers to food pantry participation relative to White food pantry participants (P<0.01). Further, when analyzing the barriers to food pantry participation comparing all races, this study found that African American food pantry participants are 28% more likely to experience high barriers (three or more) to food pantry participation than White participants (P<0.001). SNAP users were 11% more likely to experience high barriers (three or more barriers) to food pantry participation than non-SNAP users (P<0.05). When comparing all genders, this study revealed that female food pantry participants are 11% more likely to experience high barriers (three or more) to food pantry participation than males (P<0.05). This study also found that African American female food pantry participants are 32% more likely to experience high barriers (3 or more) to food pantry participation than African American male food pantry participants (P<0.001). Further, this study found that African American food pantry participants who use SNAP are 38% more likely to experience high barriers (three or more) to food pantry participation than White SNAP-using food pantry participants (P<0.001). The implications of this study are that the most susceptible populations to being food insecure such as minorities, females, and SNAP-using individuals, are also facing the greatest number of barriers to food pantry participation compared to White, male, and non-SNAP-using individuals, respectively.

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