As the White House launches an historic summit to combat food inequality on Wednesday, some tech companies are already taking steps to provide home delivery services for people who need food.
The big picture: Food banks have increasingly relied on donated services from DoorDash and Amazon as the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted how many people in the U.S. don’t have enough to eat, a problem that has persisted even as the pandemic wanes.
In 2021, 10% of U.S. households experienced food insecurity, according to a USDA report.
Driving the news: The White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health is the first such event since the Nixon administration, with a goal of ending food insecurity in the U.S. in eight years.
As part of the conference, DoorDash announced a partnership with 18 mayors to provide them with data on food access needs, direct funding for delivery and the company’s logistics to help local delivery of charitable food through its Project DASH program.
Instacart announced a pilot program with the Partnership for a Healthier America that will provide families in need with a restricted stipend to buy nutritious food, along with a free Instacart membership and waived delivery fees.
