The head of an organization that supplies food pantries in 55 Iowa counties says rising demand has been matched by a sharp increase in food costs.
Food Bank of Iowa is now spending more each month on food purchases than it spent during all of 2019 combined. Tami Nielsen, the organization’s CEO, says higher food prices are forcing changes in purchasing decisions.
Nielsen says ground beef has traditionally been a versatile staple for families, but rising beef prices have led the food bank to purchase significantly more chicken. She says the cost of one semitrailer load of ground beef is currently equal to the cost of five truckloads of chicken.
