The Ethics of Food Bank Allocation During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. food banks and pantries have faced unprecedented demand, with millions of Americans facing food insecurity due to unemployment, illness, and other factors. As food resources became scarce, many food distributors employed varying processes to distribute limited supplies - likely dispelling those with greatest needs (e.g., due to poverty, household size, care for minors or elderly) from access to essential food and sustenance. Just as with medical services during the pandemic, ethical conundrums arise as allocations of limited food bank resources fail to equitably reach at-risk populations in public health emergencies. This project will assess and develop real-time, practical ethical guidance for food bank/pantry distributions to assure greater access for those most in need.