The Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance surveyed more than 5,000 people as food banks face growing demand for assistance.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. —
A new survey from the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance in Little Rock found that 37% of Arkansans said they did not have enough food to meet their needs in 2025.
More than 5,000 Arkansans participated in the survey, which examined whether people had enough food and whether they were receiving the assistance they needed.
The finding represents more than 1.14 million people across the state.
The report also found that food insecurity is not limited to households without employment. Many people experiencing food insecurity have someone in the household working a full-time job.
Elijah Hayden, marketing and development coordinator for the River Valley Regional Food Bank, said the organization is seeing the impact of rising food prices.
“The average price of food in both of our regions has increased. It’s across the board,” Hayden said.
Sylvia Blain, CEO of the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance, said food banks were designed to provide temporary assistance, not serve as a long-term solution to chronic food insecurity.
“Food banks were never intended to be a way of life. They were intended to be emergency assistance. We’re in a situation now where we have people who are chronically food insecure,” Blain said.
The Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance plans to conduct the survey every two years to continue tracking food insecurity across the state.
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