Pandemic Reveals Vulnerabilities in Food Access: Confronting Hunger Amidst a Crisis
Melissa G. Bublitz, Natalie Czarkowski, Jonathan Hansen, Laura A. Peracchio, Sherrie Tussler
Abstract
Emergencies and disasters often expose existing flaws in our systems As Warren Buffet said, “It’s only when the tide goes out that you discover who’s been swimming naked” (Emanuel 2020) We have been swimming in the buff The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed systemic vulnerabilities in food access for people experiencing hunger Simultaneously, it has revealed opportunities to strengthen food access Working with Hunger Task Force (HTF), an antihunger nonprofit that operates a food bank in Milwaukee and advocates for local, state, and federal policy to end hunger (Bublitz et al 2019), we outline three lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic and raise policy and research questions related to ensuring food access for all