Enhancing food pantry efficiency through behavioral nudges: evidence from a field experiment
Abstract
Food insecurity continues to affect millions of American. households, with food pantries serving as a critical complement to government nutrition assistance programs. However, client-choice models often face inefficiencies when donated, unfamiliar foods are underutilized, reducing nutritional impact and contributing to waste. This field experiment tested nine low-cost behavioral nudges in a campus-based pantry to increase uptake of such items. Uptake, measured as the proportion of visitors selecting the featured item, was compared to a no-nudge control. Bootstrap analysis identified “Fun Fact” and “Ordered Too Much” as significantly increasing selection (p < .05), suggesting subtle, resource-efficient strategies can enhance pantry effectiveness.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Agricultural risk and resilience
Food Security and Health in Diverse Populations
Agricultural Innovations and Practices
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Volume
- 21
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 987–998
- Publication date
- 16 January 2026
- Language
- EN