While two billion people experienced food insecurity before the declaration of the pandemic on March 13, 2020, increased rates of poverty, unemployment, and economic collapse are now driving millions more into hunger. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) reports that in 2020, as many as 811 million people in the world faced hunger, a 161 million increase over 2019. Food banking organizations have experienced these ripple effects of the pandemic, as rising food insecurity has increased demand for services by 132 percent.
