Perhaps one of the most polarizing issues keeping the Farm Bill from being passed in 2026 was differing opinions about the Nutrition title, the key policy instrument for funding food safety net programs in the United States. But food security is both a key agriculture and rural issue for our country. It is ironic that agricultural production abounds in the Heartland of the United States, yet gaining access to healthy and affordable food can be a challenge for rural residents. Research shows that many rural areas lack food retailers, are more dependent on food safety net programs and have limited supplies of fresh, affordable foods, even in areas where farming is important to the local economy.

In rural areas, access to food is challenging for a number of reasons ranging from distance to grocery stores, financial constraints, transportation challenges, and more limited food away from home options . Rural shoppers may be forced to rely on more expensive and less nutritious food, so it is not surprising that a relatively high share of rural households are food insecure, meaning they cannot rely on access to sufficient, affordable, and nutritious food at all times, increasing the risk of poor health outcomes. USDA’s latest household food security data found that 15.9% of nonmetro households were food insecure in 2024, compared with 11.9% in suburban/exurban areas and 13.7% nationally.

Feeding America’s 2026 Map the Meal Gap estimates that 86% of U.S. counties with the highest food insecurity rates are rural, even though rural counties account for 62% of counties overall.

Child food insecurity is estimated to be higher than overall food insecurity in every state, with rates reaching as high as 50%. Many know about traditional food assistance programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, but there is also a broader network of food assistance providing meals to seniors, students and families.

Giving families more flexible ways to receive meal assistance requires innovation, such as during the pandemic when summer meals were served in rural ZIP codes through temporary flexibilities to the program. Those types of flexible models — including home delivery and grab-and-go — are now available in eligible rural communities , and the National Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) community is a food industry network response to that opportunity. Although it is open to all partners, national food companies are the backbone of that network.

Beyond hunger, one of Rural America’s greatest challenges is that its wide open spaces also translate to large distances to city centers that are the historic market hubs where people shop. Although they are not without critics, Walmart was the first industry partner to invest in a rural presence, but Amazon is now elevating its investment in a rural delivery network . Such investments are not without critics who worry about the implications of big players entering rural markets and the ultimate effect on community main streets, and in an earlier Forbes piece , I highlight how rural entrepreneurs are stepping up to that challenge.

School’s Out for Summer, but Children Still Need Lunch

Among rural families living on low incomes, distance and transportation compound the food security gap. The drop-off in meal access when school lets out each summer remains significant. No Kid Hungry reports that historically, 87% of kids who received free or reduced-price school meals haven’t accessed meals during the summer. Summer meal programs traditionally are served at places like schools, libraries and community centers, and in rural communities, lower population density can mean fewer sites are nearby.

Meals and federal programs may be available, but families still need a realistic way to receive food programs that help to sustain their families. Local food banks and school districts may also lack the vehicles, coolers and other equipment needed to deliver meals across large rural areas. There are creative programs to address these infrastructure needs like the new USDA Cold Chain Grants for Emergency Food Assistance being offered in fall 2026.

In an interesting new partnership, Amazon is donating its delivery network already reaching rural communities, alongside No Kid Hungry which brings its expertise in childhood hunger and summer nutrition. In 2025, Amazon’s Summer Meals for Kids program partnered with 18 food banks and school districts to deliver meals to more than 2 million summer meals to kids across 13 states for free.

Innovating to Address Rural Hunger

Through the Summer Meals for Kids program, a partnership with No Kid Hungry , local food banks and school district partners, Amazon leveraged their rural delivery network to deliver more than 2 million meals directly to students’ doorsteps across 13 states in summer 2026. “We’ve heard from rural families across the country that they value the convenience and nutrition that home delivery could offer in the summer,” said Courtney Smith, senior vice president of program research, innovation, and impact at No Kid Hungry. “That’s why we are developing this model with Amazon and pioneering rural school districts and community partners.”

This program builds on Amazon’s commitment to expand access to food in communities. Since 2020, Amazon has delivered millions of meals from food banks to families across the U.S. “Amazon’s delivery network already reaches some of the most remote communities in America every single day,” said Kadie Newman, vice president of transportation services at Amazon. “Working alongside No Kid Hungry and local food banks and school districts, we’re applying that same last mile infrastructure to help close the summer hunger gap—delivering meals directly to kids who might otherwise go without.”

What do these innovations mean for Rural America? Many see large merchant networks such as Amazon as a threat to their community business climate, but other independent businesses in rural areas may see Amazon as a way to reach a bigger market. The local and regional food system of the US is already forging partnerships with food assistance networks such as No Kid Hungry, so perhaps the next step is to assure all types of farms and food companies, big and small, are embedded in feeding rural Americans and our children.