Project Description

In partnership with HATCH for Hunger (HATCH), the Center for Nutrition & Health Impact conducted a multi-site case study evaluation to examine how HATCH’s protein procurement and distribution model supports food banks, food pantries, and families experiencing food insecurity across the United States.
 
HATCH works directly with producers to purchase fresh animal proteins and provide them to charitable food organizations at a reduced cost, while managing complex logistics that often limit food bank and pantry access to nutritious, affordable proteins. The multi-site case study evaluation brought together multiple types of data to illustrate the impacts of HATCH’s model on protein procurement, organizational operations, and access to fresh protein foods for families.  
 
Findings highlighted how HATCH’s model helped charitable food organizations increase access to highly requested proteins, reduce costs, strengthen operational efficiency, and support more nutritious food options for communities. 
 
Released in September 2026, the evaluation report and infographic are available to view and download.