Feeding South Florida says rising diesel costs are cutting food donations across the supply chain

Record-high diesel prices in Florida are taking a heavy financial toll on organizations relying on truck fleets, including local food banks.

Feeding South Florida operates a distribution network that relies on diesel trucks to deliver food to 1.7 million people across four counties. However, surging fuel costs during the first two months of the fiscal year have significantly increased operating expenses, according to CEO Paco Velez.

"I think it's gone up from $75,000, $76,000 to about $121 thousand, so we are seeing a 59% increase year over year over the last two months," Velez said.

AAA reported Wednesday that the average price for a gallon of diesel in Florida reached $6.32. Factors driving the sharp increase include global conflicts, such as the U.S. conflict with Iran and Russia's war in Ukraine.

The rising cost of living is forcing more families to seek help at a time when resources are stretched.

"Everything's gone up, and it's difficult," said Patricia Mata, an unemployed single mother of three who receives food assistance from Feeding South Florida. "For me, it's very important, for like a single mom and having three kids and not working right now".

Higher fuel prices are also reverberating across the broader food system, impacting producers, processors, manufacturers, retailers, and distributors. As transportation costs rise, partners across the supply chain are tightening spending, leading to a decrease in overall food donations.

"They are being a little bit more frugal as it's costing them more to ship product from one location to another," Velez said. "So we're seeing a drop in our donations as well".

Despite the financial pressures, Velez emphasized that Feeding South Florida is not turning away anyone who needs food assistance. The organization remains hopeful that donors will step forward to help offset the rising expenses of transporting food throughout the region.