Nonprofit perspectives on managing food-insecurity operations during crisis

Abstract

Food insecurity is an international concern. There is a need to address and discuss the challenges of food distribution during times of crisis. This In Perspective paper investigates the vital role of nonprofit organizations when it comes to managing food-insecurity during a pandemic when needs and demands change. Given diverse needs and changing logistical patterns experienced during the pandemic, nonprofits had to alter how offered support to those requiring help in urban areas. This paper positions directions noted in the literature before offering insights from interviews with three nonprofits based in the Phoenix metro area of Arizona in the United States. Findings are organized into two sections: 1. addressing need, and 2. organizational coordination of navigating a crisis. Both sections address challenges that nonprofits saw and faced through the pandemic over the past few years. Noted managerial implications and policy recommendations address the importance of evaluating changing demands and how to manage operations through abrupt transition.