Publications & Reports

Hunger in Ohio 2024 provides a comprehensive demographic profile of people seeking food assistance through the OAF hunger relief network. The data collected help guide the development of programs, policies, and solutions that improve food security for individuals and their households and inform public awareness and policy development for addressing hunger in Ohio. The first Ohio Hunger Study was conceived and implemented in spring 2023 to document the point-in-time experience of food insecure Ohioans in the wake of the end of pandemic-era SNAP Emergency Allotments and in the midst of historic inflation. It was modeled from the past success of the national quadrennial hunger study last conducted in 2014 by Feeding America with research vendor Westat and the Urban Institute. Hunger in Ohio 2024 is representative of the experiences and challenges facing foodbank clients statewide.

Rich data from a widely distributed survey comprise the basis for the Hunger in Ohio 2024 results. All data were collected through electronic surveys completed by food pantry visitors from April 15 to May 12, 2024. This survey was implemented in partnership with staff and volunteers at each of Ohio’s 12 Feeding America foodbanks who helped to distribute flyers with unique QR codes that securely connected food pantry visitors with a confidential online survey built through Qualtrics. In total, 2,301 unique, verified respondents from about 30 percent of all Ohio zip code-areas answered questions about themselves, their households, the circumstances that led them to seek help from the emergency hunger relief network, and their experience. Wherever possible, the survey utilized validated questions from research entities such as the USDA Economic Research Service compiled from the Feeding America Client Survey. Consulting researcher Anirudh Ruhil, Ph.D., associate dean at Ohio University’s Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service, conducted unweighted analysis of the data collected, which was used to produce this report. Special thanks to Eliza Richardson, Polly Leland, and Zach Reat, M.P.A. for their leadership on this project.

Welcome to the first official Ohio CAN Guide! This guide provides comprehensive information about Ohio’s Local Food Purchasing Assistance Program (LFPA), also known as Ohio CAN (Community +Agriculture + Nutrition). Here, you'll not only learn about the program itself but also discover the diverse individuals working behind the scenes to make it successful. Ohio CAN brings together foodbank representatives, aggregators, farmers, producers, and suppliers to ensure local food reaches communities across the state.

Ohio CAN prioritizes suppliers who identify as historically underrepresented, such as women, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, veterans, small and beginner farmers, disabled farmers, and those relying on public assistance.

This guide, like the Ohio CAN program, aims to highlight local foods, celebrate local producers, and showcase the diversity within agriculture. It is designed to inspire anyone interested in farming, gardening, or agriculture and to clarify what “local foods” truly means and its significance to programs like this.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as 'food stamps,' stands as our nation's largest and most effective public aid program, serving as a primary defense against hunger. For every meal provided by the Feeding America food bank network, SNAP benefits supply nine. Particularly vital for low-income older adults, SNAP contributes significantly to achieving food security. The current minimum SNAP benefit of $23 per month falls short in providing adequate nutrition support. The low benefit amount also contributes to low SNAP participation among those eligible who may be hesitant to reach out for help and reluctant to tackle the paperwork required to enroll in the program.

In 2022, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) launched the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program, or LFPA. The State of Ohio received funds to support LFPA, which has been branded Ohio CAN (Community + Agriculture + Nutrition) in Ohio. The State of Ohio received $13.5 million for round one and for round two, or LFPA Plus, will receive a little over $13 million for a total of $26.5 million over a roughly three-year period. The Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program was designed by USDA to maintain and improve food and agricultural supply chain resiliency. LFPA uses non-competitive cooperative agreements to provide up to $900 million of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) funding for state, tribal and territorial governments to purchase foods produced within the state or within 400 miles of the delivery destination to help support local, regional and underserved producers. The cooperative agreements allow the states, tribes and territories to procure and distribute local and regional foods and beverages that are healthy, nutritious, unique to their geographic areas and that meet the needs of the population. In addition to increasing local food consumption, the funds will help build and expand economic opportunity for local and underserved producers. The Ohio Department of Agriculture, Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, and Ohio Association of Foodbanks engaged Dr. Howard Fleeter and Dr. Jennifer Olejownik to conduct an independent analysis of Ohio CAN’s early outcomes to identify strengths, benefits, challenges, and areas for improvement. This report provides a summary of the key themes and findings they surfaced.