2026 Iowa Hunger Summit
2026 Iowa Hunger Summit
Wednesday, July 22, 2026 | Des Moines, Iowa
In a state that feeds the world, food insecurity remains a persistent reality for too many Iowans, who still do not know where their next meal will come from — 385,130 people, 120,220 of whom are children.
Not a single Iowa county is spared from rising hunger. The annual meal gap is nearly 73 million, and the additional resources required to meet the state’s food needs exceed $248.3 million. These are not abstract figures; they reflect not a lack of food but a need for stronger systems, deeper coordination and sustained commitment. They reflect Iowa families, Iowa children and Iowa communities facing daily uncertainty about their next meal in a state defined by abundance.
The Iowa Hunger Summit brought together the people and organizations working across those systems every day. Now in its 20th year, it served as a space for understanding what has been achieved and a catalyst for what still must change.
Linking Arms, Feeding Communities features the work already underway across Iowa — work rooted in partnership, lived experience and shared responsibility. It recognizes that no single organization, sector or generation can solve hunger alone. Progress depends on how effectively we connect efforts, align resources and build solutions that endure beyond any one moment or initiative.
This annual gathering is not only about sharing ideas but strengthening the relationships and commitments that turn ideas into action. It is where experience meets urgency, where collaboration becomes strategy and where the work of ending hunger continues — together.
Meal Packaging
9 a.m. - 2 p.m. | Tuesday, July 21, 2026 | Norman E. Borlaug Hall of Laureates
The World Food Prize Foundation partnered with The Outreach Program to package over 40,000 meals for Iowa families in honor of the 40th anniversary of the World Food Prize.
Exhibitors
The Iowa Hunger Summit featured more than 20 organizations from across the state. Exhibitors showcased their organization, engaged with fellow food security professionals and shared their organization’s mission, initiatives and vision with like-minded leaders.
Robert D. Ray Iowa SHARES Humanitarian Award
Ken DeYoung received the 2026 Robert D. Ray Iowa SHARES Humanitarian Award in recognition of his extraordinary leadership in confronting hunger and alleviating human suffering in communities across Guatemala, Haiti, India, Kenya, Liberia, Peru and beyond.