Registration Now Open for the 20th Annual Iowa Hunger Summit

Today, the World Food Prize Foundation announced registration is now open for the 2026 Iowa Hunger Summit, marking 20 years of bringing Iowans together to confront food and nutrition insecurity across the state. This year's Iowa Hunger Summit, convening under the theme Linking Arms, Feeding Communities, will take place Wednesday, July 22, 2026, from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Norman E. Borlaug Hall of Laureates in Des Moines.

In a state that feeds the world, food insecurity remains a persistent reality for too many Iowans-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.

Now in its 20th year, the Iowa Hunger Summit continues to serve as a platform for collaboration, innovation and action, bringing together nonprofit leaders, policymakers, educators, farmers, advocates and community members working to strengthen food systems across Iowa.

"Food insecurity cannot be solved in isolation," said Mashal Husain, President, World Food Prize Foundation. "Real progress happens when communities come together across sectors and generations to build solutions that are rooted in partnership, dignity and shared responsibility. The Iowa Hunger Summit reflects that spirit of collaboration and our collective commitment to ensuring every Iowan has access to nutritious food."

Linking Arms, Feeding Communities highlights 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.

"The work of addressing hunger is fundamentally about connection: connecting farmers to families, resources to communities and people to opportunity," said Tom Vilsack, Chief Executive Officer, World Food Prize Foundation. "The Iowa Hunger Summit reminds us that food and nutrition security is not just an agricultural issue; it is an economic issue, a health issue and a human issue. By working together, Iowa can continue building stronger and more resilient communities."

This 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.

As part of the Iowa Hunger Summit, the Foundation will host a community meal-packaging event on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, at the Hall of Laureates. In partnership with The Outreach Program, volunteers will package more than 20,000 meals for Iowa communities.
Volunteer shifts will take place between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., with opportunities available for both individuals and groups. The 9 to 10 a.m. shift will support event setup, while the 1 to 2 p.m. shift will prepare packaged meals for distribution. Meal-packaging stations operating from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. will accommodate up to ten volunteers each.

The 2026 Iowa Hunger Summit will feature keynote speakers, panel discussions, interactive exhibits and conversations focused on advancing food security efforts across Iowa. Attendance is free, but registration is required, and space is limited.
For more information on the Iowa Hunger Summit on July 22 and meal packaging the day before, click HERE.