HARRISBURG, Pa. — Working in animal agriculture, it’s not uncommon for a young pig to fall behind. As a businessman, and a compassionate one at that, it’s the job of farmers to do everything in our care to support the growth and development of all the pigs in the litter. They rely on us to ensure their health and well-being. We look for creative solutions on each individualized case to build and maintain a healthy herd. The American food supply relies on us, American farmers.
When individuals are on SNAP, they spend the dollars here in our grocery stores. So who really benefits when our neighbors lose access to their food programs? It certainly isn’t the American farmer.
As Congress continues discussions on the 2023 reauthorization of the Farm Bill, let’s move past the conversations about eligibility for SNAP and other food programs, and dig further into how our industry can support those who need a leg up. By ensuring that programs like The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) directly benefit and support those facing food insecurity by purchasing American-grown foods, both the farmer and those facing food insecurity benefit. Additionally, TEFAP Infrastructure Grants have helped numerous food banks invest in the facilities to better store and therefore serve food purchases, increasing the efficiency of the food supply and taxpayer dollars. By reducing barriers in the TEFAP Farm to Food Bank Program and increasing states’ ability to prioritize projects, dollars can be better invested in supporting local farmers.
America has an incredible food system, ripe with opportunity to help tackle food insecurity in our rural and urban communities. As an industry, we can lift up those seniors, children, disabled, and veterans that make up the large majority of SNAP recipients.
No one wins when someone loses their benefits. Instead, let’s find ways that taxpayer dollars can be better leveraged in the food insecurity space to strengthen the efficiency of our nation’s food supply.
–Chris Hoffman, President PA Farm Bureau
RECOMMENDED ARTICLES
ALBANY — State Senators Michelle Hinchey (D-Kingston) and George Borrello (R-Sunset Bay), Assemblyman Demond Meeks (D-Rochester), Assemblyman Angelo Morinello (R-Niagara Falls), Assemblymember Donna Lupardo (D-Binghamton), along with Field & Fork Network, the NYS Farm Bureau, the American Heart Association and other supporting organizations, are calling on the Legislature to support Double Up Food Bucks NY […]
HUDSON VALLEY, N.Y. — The SNAP-Ed New York program of the Hudson Valley is pleased to announce that the Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program (FVRx) has launched as SNAP-Ed staff, partners, and medical providers continue to work together to provide the program throughout local communities. The FVRx program is designed to address food insecurity in […]
WASHINGTON — Grocery prices soared by 11.8% in 2022 – the swiftest pace since the early 1980s. Rapid inflation is, naturally, leading to concerns that it’s getting harder for Americans to put food on the table. Indeed, Feeding America, a nonprofit that supports and connects roughly 60,000 food banks and pantries nationwide, has said that at least half of its […]
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is announcing details of a framework to transform the food system to benefit consumers, producers and rural communities by providing more options, increasing access, and creating new, more, and better markets for small and mid-size producers. Today’s announcement builds on lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and […]
BOSTON — The Baker-Polito Administration has announced $22.5 million in funding to food producers across the Commonwealth, continuing ongoing efforts to address food insecurity issues exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. During an event today at the Worcester Regional Food Hub, Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito, Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Secretary Kathleen Theoharides, and Massachusetts Department […]
