Food prices are on the rise due to Trump’s Liberation Day tariffs and other factors.
While costs continue to spike, over 70,000 people now face food insecurity in the Brazos Valley alone, according to a March 20 article from KBTX. The instability of food options has locals searching for answers.
Agricultural economics professor David Anderson said the introduction of tariffs added great volatility to the marketplace, but they aren’t the sole reason for the rising costs.
“There’s other factors that are a lot more important that have led to higher food prices than tariffs,” Anderson said. “Higher costs across the board. Production costs are higher, stuff like drought, things like that.”
Some prices may fluctuate while others don’t. For example, imported coffee prices may increase due to retaliatory tariffs. For beef, Anderson said excessive drought has led Texas to have a steady decline in cow herds, causing a spike in beef prices.
No matter the reason behind the increase, Anderson said the most important factor now is how the community responds to help those in need.
“As we talk about volatility in the economy, the potential for a recession … the Brazos Valley Food Bank, other food banks run by churches and other groups, they become more and more important,” Anderson said.
The 12th Can, Texas A&M’s student-led food pantry, has seen an influx of clients in recent years. From 2023-24, the pantry’s clientele increased from 2,577 to 3,270 households.
Executive Director of The 12th Can, Mazie Johnson, said food insecurity isn’t just going hungry — it’s lacking consistent and reliable access to nutritious food.
“It can happen to anyone,” Johnson said. “There’s a lot of misconceptions about food insecurity … Anyone who comes through our doors, we serve.”
The 12th Can offers client choice, a grocery store style model where households are able to fill their bags with whatever they need from the pantry. Aside from food, they also carry toiletries, cleaning supplies, can openers, feminine hygiene products and allergen-sensitive items in their hygiene pantry.
$1.1 million will be given annually to the Division of Student Affairs over the next ten years to combat food insecurity, $125,000 of which will be allocated solely to the 12th Can. Chartwells, the company that offers A&M’s on-campus dining, will be providing the annual donation. The 12th Can serves approximately 300 people every two weeks, and is prepared to assist even more.
Nonprofit organizations in the city have also risen to meet the challenge. The Bridge Ministries Food Pantry has served the Bryan-College Station community for 15 years, and now distributes between 135 to 150 meal packages every week to those in need.
Jazmine Chavez, the office administrator for The Bridge Ministries, said that rising prices have affected the nonprofit pantry’s operations.
“The increase in food prices is most reflected in just the amount of new clients that we have been getting,” Chavez said. “Beyond that, the amount of people asking, ‘Do you know of any other resources I can go to?’”
The Bridge Ministries’ team is preparing to help as many locals as possible while numbers continue to increase. Executive director Colby Street said his goal is to bring more awareness to The Bridge Ministries and form strategic partnerships with members of the community to get the word out.
“We have to know that there’s more than 150 families out there that are fighting food insecurity, and they just don’t know we’re an option,” Street said.
Street also pointed to the importance of food insecurity among college students, saying that the issue is not restricted to families with children.
“Hopefully, there are some students who are able to engage with these kinds of interactions and learn that this is an option that they can come and receive support with,” Street said.
Although hands-on help is valued and needed at The Bridge Ministries, Street said he aims to connect with more skilled volunteers.
“All skill sets and all age groups can have an impact,” Street said. “ … Some of our most impactful volunteers are those college students, but, additionally, people who have professional skills, social skills, contacts, networks, things along those lines … can be just as impactful as someone who donates financially.”
If someone is facing food insecurity, Street encourages them to show up at The Bridge Ministries with a photo ID to get enrolled in their food distribution program.
Similar pantries like “Pocket Pantries,” presented by the Byrnes Student Success Center, are available at 35 locations on campus to students ] who may be facing food insecurity.
Program director for the Byrnes Student Success Center Joseph Sanchez encourages students to reach out in moments of need.
“If you say you need help, then you need help,” Sanchez said. “Our biggest issue is students not wanting to ask for help. … We don’t make judgments on students, we’re here to help. Asking for help is what we love to hear, and that’s what we’re here to do.”
