Leveraging Inequality Measures for Equitable Food Bank Operations: A Data – Driven Approach

Addressing food insecurity remains a significant global challenge, further intensified by natural phenomena such as hurricanes, which disrupt food supply chains, damage infrastructure, and limit access to essential resources. Recent hurricanes, including Helene and Milton, have exemplified how these events exacerbate vulnerabilities, placing immense pressure on existing food distribution systems. In the United States, food banks play an essential role in mitigating hunger and ensuring equitable access to nutritious food. This research investigates the complex dynamics of equity within food bank operations by employing established inequality measures—specifically, the Gini Index, and Hoover Index—to assess and quantify disparities in food distribution across the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina (FBCENC). The Gini Index provides a numerical depiction of distribution inequality, while the Hoover Index quantifies the proportion of resources that would need redistribution to achieve equity. Utilizing data from the FBCENC, the study calculates these indices at both network and branch levels utilizing Python algorithms and visualizes the results using Tableau. This dual approach facilitates comprehensive mapping and trend analyses, offering interactive insights into distribution patterns. The findings highlight areas with significant disparities, revealing branches where food distribution exhibits marked inequity. These insights guide targeted strategies for more balanced resource allocation. Furthermore, this research sets the stage for future work to compare these traditional inequality measures with the Fairshare analysis—a standard currently used by food banks—to determine alignment and potential discrepancies.

Dr. Lauren Davis is a Professor in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at North Carolina A&T State University. She holds a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from North Carolina State University, an M.S. in Industrial & Management Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and a B.S. in Computational Mathematics from the Rochester Institute of Technology. Her research focuses on humanitarian logistics, supply chain optimization, and emergency preparedness and response. Dr. Davis has published extensively in top-tier journals and has led numerous projects aimed at improving equity and efficiency in food systems and disaster logistics.

Dr. Steven Xiaochun Jiang is a Professor in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at North Carolina A&T State University. He holds a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from Clemson University, an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Nanjing University of Science & Technology, and a B.S. from East China Institute of Technology. His research focuses on modeling human performance in complex systems, usability engineering, and visual analytics, with applications in manufacturing, construction, aviation, healthcare, and military systems. Dr. Jiang has published extensively and is recognized for his interdisciplinary approach to human-centered system design.

Enoch Bonsu is a PhD candidate in Industrial and Systems Engineering at North Carolina A&T State University. His research centers on humanitarian logistics, supply chain optimization and visual analytics. He is working towards completing his dissertation, which focuses on improving food bank operations. Enoch is committed to advancing knowledge in his field and developing data-driven solutions that promote social impact.