PROGRESSIVE PLAYBOOK > ADDRESSING HUNGER THROUGH THE FARM BILL
Addressing HuNger through the farm bill
INTRODUCTION
The 2023 Farm Bill comes at a critical moment to address hunger in America. Despite the potential for great increases in hunger due to the widespread economic hardship precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) found that overall food insecurity remained relatively constant in 2021 at 10.2%. Racial and ethnic inequities in food access grew, however: Black (19.8%) and Hispanic (16.2%) households experienced food insecurity at more than double the rate for white households (7%).
The 2023 Farm Bill provides an opportunity to strengthen the programs that mitigated hunger during the pandemic and address persistent disparities. When reauthorizing the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and other federal nutrition programs, policymakers should ensure all communities experience food security in a way that promotes equity and dignity and advances a hunger-free future. Policymakers should also ensure that “merit staff” public employees conduct the essential work of SNAP to screen for eligibility and to determine benefit levels. Merit staffing ensures that SNAP beneficiaries receive the help they need from a skilled professional workforce, that recipient data remains private, and that determinations are based on qualifications rather than profit or other motives. States must also have adequate staff to determine eligibility in a timely manner so that families can access the nutrition assistance they need. This explainer outlines several priorities that, if included in the 2023 Farm Bill, will help achieve these goals.
These recommendations were compiled with input from Alianza Nacional de Campesinas, American Friends Service Committee, Center for Food Safety, Climate Justice Alliance, Espacios Abiertos, Farm Action Fund, Farmworker Association of Florida, Fideicomiso de Tierras Comunitarias para la Agricultura Sostenible, Food Research & Action Center (FRAC), Hunger Free America, National Farm 2 School Network, Rural Coalition, RuralOrganizing.org, United Food & Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), and National Young Farmers Coalition.
SNAP EQUITY AND ACCESS
SNAP is the cornerstone of the nation’s food security safety net, helping 41 million people put food on the table. When the number of families struggling to make ends meet increases, SNAP responds quickly and effectively. SNAP also has a tremendous economic impact: each $1 in SNAP benefits during an economic downturn generates between $1.50 and $1.80 in economic activity. However, SNAP restrictions perpetuate inequitable access to food for historically marginalized communities. Below are recommendations for how Congress can improve benefit adequacy and equitable access to SNAP benefits.
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Remove the ban on hot prepared foods, which places an additional burden on SNAP customers from working families, people living with disabilities, and people in disaster-stricken areas.
Base benefit allotments on the Low-Cost Food Plan.
Increase the minimum SNAP benefit (currently $23 a month).
Boost benefits for older adults and people living with disabilities through a standard medical deduction.
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Provide SNAP parity to Puerto Rico and other U.S. Territories.
Address the racial inequity of rent burdens by eliminating the excess shelter deduction cap.
Lift the federal ban prohibiting people with drug felony convictions from accessing SNAP.
Eliminate arbitrary three-month time limits on able-bodied adults aged 18-49. Such time limits exacerbate racial inequity and do not help individuals find work.
Improve SNAP access for low-income college students by removing unjust work for food rules. College students, including first-generation students, English language learners, and LGBTQIA+ youth face unique barriers to food security, and food insecurity is a key barrier to college completion.
Reverse xenophobic SNAP barriers for immigrants by eliminating the five-year waiting period to access SNAP and other federal assistance programs.
Increase funding for the USDA’s National Hunger Clearinghouse and Hunger Hotline from $250,000 to $750,000. This important tool directs families to food assistance programs.
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Increase funding for the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP).
Remove Nutrition Incentive Grant match requirements under GusNIP.
Increase the proportion of GusNIP funds dedicated to Produce Prescription Programs.
Create an interagency task force to research, scale, and integrate Produce Prescription models across food and health care sectors.
Food Sovereignty and Nutrition for Native American Families
Health and nutrition inequities disproportionately impact Native American communities. Approximately 25% of all Native American people in the United States rely on SNAP each month and Native American families are 400% more likely to report being food insecure. While SNAP provides eligible low-income Native American households with monthly benefits to purchase food in authorized stores, this assistance is only effective if SNAP-authorized grocery stores are easily accessible and have food in stock. In many American Indian and Alaska Native Tribal areas, low population densities and high poverty rates deter large stores—with the requisite food variety to be authorized to accept SNAP benefits—from locating in these areas.
USDA funds an alternative program—the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)—but this program also faces challenges. In Tribal areas, the percentage of individuals living within walking distance of a SNAP-authorized supermarket or FDPIR outlet is half the national average. While improving access to and the adequacy of USDA’s food assistance programs is essential, it is also important to promote programs that encourage Native American food sovereignty.
The Tribal-specific recommendations highlighted below were pulled from the Native Farm Bill Coalition's Gaining Ground Report, which provides in-depth coverage of Tribal-specific nutrition priorities. The policy language surrounding Tribal priorities entail a great deal of nuance and we ask that they not be paraphrased so as to maintain their integrity.
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Allow for the Tribal administration of SNAP and The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), as is the case for WIC, and expand current pilot programs for Tribal administration of FDPIR to allow any Tribe to run the program if it so chooses. This would allow for greater control over the programs and help ensure they are run in a culturally-competent manner.
Expand SNAP-Ed eligibility to Tribes for the provision of nutrition education. Currently, only states are eligible to receive formula-based SNAP-Ed funding.
Allow for the dual usage of SNAP and FDPIR. FDPIR is the only USDA commodities-based nutrition program that bars participants from participating in other programs.
Reduce the Tribal match for programs to 0%.
Issue waiver authority for USDA-FNS to allow FDPIR sites to provide non-domestically sourced foods in emergency situations.
Provide additional infrastructure funding to FDPIR for upgrades to facilities and equipment.on text goes here
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Make USDA’s authority to execute “638” pilot agreements for food sovereignty in FDPIR permanent and extend to SNAP. These agreements enable Tribes to exercise greater control and flexibility in administering these programs.
Expand the availability of traditional Native American/Native American-produced foods for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP).
Establish cooperative agreement authority for Tribal food procurement in all USDA nutrition programs.
Establish a pilot program to enable direct Indian Tribal Organization sourcing of locally produced herbs and spices as part of nutrition education opportunities for FDPIR.
Include more traditional/Tribally-produced foods on a regional basis.
Strengthening Consumer Access and Worker Protections
SNAP is responsible for more than 200,000 grocery and related jobs, with wages totaling more than $6.7 billion. To maintain the safety and integrity of the food system, it is essential that these jobs include safe food and workforce requirements, as well as safety guardrails for all SNAP-authorized retailers. SNAP dollars must be administered by workers who are paid good wages, which is especially important in the rapidly expanding grocery delivery industry. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, USDA expanded its SNAP online food purchasing program. Since then, a mixed online delivery system has emerged, including both in-store employees and independent contractor/gig workers. Below are recommendations for how Congress can improve consumer access to healthy food and strengthen worker protections.
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SNAP deliveries should be performed by employees of an authorized retailer or an entity contracted by the retailer to perform deliveries. All employees performing deliveries should be paid no less than minimum wage, receive employer-provided health and safety training, and be given appropriate food safety equipment.
Ensure that any proposal to address delivery fees includes new/additional funds and is not offset by reducing SNAP benefits.
Ensure SNAP dollars are administered by workers who are paid good wages.
Relevant Legislation
H.R. 4077 (117th) (Rep. Adams — D-NC-12) / S. 2192 (117th) (Sen. Gillibrand — D-NY): The Closing the Meal Gap Act of 2021 makes several improvements to benefit adequacy and equitable access, including:
Base benefit allotments on the Low-Cost Food Plan
Boost the minimum SNAP benefit, which is currently only $20
Boost benefits for older adults and people living with disabilities through a standard medical deduction
Address the racial inequity of rent burdens by eliminating the excess shelter deduction cap
H.R. 1753 (117th) (Rep. Lee — D-CA-13): The Improving Access to Nutrition Act eliminates arbitrary three-month time limits on able-bodied adults aged 18-49 seeking full-time work.
H.R. 1919 (117th) (Rep. Gomez — D-CA-34) / S. 2515 (117th) (Sen. Gillibrand — D-NY): The EATS Act of 2021 equalizes SNAP access for low-income college students by removing unjust work for food rules.
H.R. 5227 (117th) (Rep. Jayapal — D-WA-07) / S. 4311 (117th) (Sen. Hirono — D-HI): The LIFT the BAR Act of 2021 reverses xenophobic SNAP barriers for immigrants by eliminating the five-year waiting period to access SNAP and other federal assistance programs, among other improvements focused on equitable access.
H.R. 6338 (117th) (Rep. Rush* — D-IL-01): The SNAP PLUS Act of 2021 removes the ban on hot prepared foods. *Rep. Rush is no longer a member of the House. We will update this when we know who is taking over this bill.
H.R. 7038 (117th) (Rep. Morelle — D-NY-25): The Hunger Clearinghouse Enhancement Act of 2022 provides resources to help families access hunger prevention services. The USDA National Hunger Clearinghouse and Hunger Hotline is essential in directing families to food assistance programs.
H.R. 6334 (117th) (Rep. Neguse — D-CO-02) / S. 2757 (117th) (Sen. Smith — D-MN): The SNAP Tribal Food Sovereignty Act directs the Department of Agriculture to enter into self-determination contracts to administer the SNAP program at Indian Tribes’ and Tribal organizations’ request.
H.R.9069 (117th) (Rep. Panetta — D-CA-20) / S.497 (118th) (Sen. Duckworth — D-IL): The Military Family Nutrition Access Act would exclude military housing allowances from income for the purpose of determining SNAP eligibility.