DES MOINES – Today, Gov. Reynolds and the Iowa Economic Development Authority announced a $5 million investment in food banks and food pantry networks to help more Iowans in need get access to fresh, nutritious food.

“Access to fresh foods is a challenge for those facing food insecurity and soaring inflation has made it even harder,” said Gov. Reynolds. “Iowa is making long-term investments to reduce food insecurity in our communities – supporting food banks and their networks to better serve those in need. This one-time infrastructure investment will help improve capacity and distribution at Iowa’s food banks, and ensure more Iowans have access to the food they need.”

The new Iowa Food Insecurity Infrastructure Fund will help eligible nonprofits that have experienced economic hardship build, expand, or remodel facilities to enable them to increase the amount of food, especially fresh food, distributed to local food pantries throughout Iowa. Eligible nonprofits include food banks that are bulk food aggregators or distributors that replenish food pantries across Iowa, as well as nonprofit food pantry networks that serve as primary distribution points.

IEDA will begin accepting applications on June 1 and will continue to review applications as they arrive through July 1 or until funding runs out. Funded projects must be completed by June 30, 2026. For more information, visit https://www.iowaeda.com/infrastructure/food-infrastructure/.