Implementing a campus food pantry in the US: Strategies for operations and marketing communications

About 10% of the US population faces food insecurity, defined as “limited or uncertain access to adequate food.” On college and university campuses, food insecurity among students is often reported as three times higher than the population at large. Food insecurity on campus has been shown to reduce academic performance, and by extension, student retention. In response to this issue, many colleges and universities have implemented campus food pantries. This practice paper is a potential blueprint for higher education institutions to implement a campus food pantry, and to market the food pantry to students who experience food insecurity without stigmatizing them. The paper synthesizes lessons from implementation and insights from existing literature to promote the inclusion of food pantries as a tool for boosting student success and student retention.