A five-year farm bill is currently under consideration in Congress.
The $1.5 trillion measure encompasses a wide range of agriculture and food policies, covering everything from crop insurance to conservation programs.
As Ali Rogin reports, one of the big issues this year is funding for a federal program that helps low-income people buy food.
Ali: The bill, known as the Farm Bill, has been moving slowly through the House of Representatives, in part because of partisan disagreements over the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, formerly known as food stamps.
This is a federal program that addresses hunger by helping low-income people buy food.
But an analysis by the left-leaning research organization, the Urban Institute, found that SNAP benefits in 2023 would not cover rising food prices in 98% of Americans.
county.
Elaine Waxman is a senior fellow at the Urban Institute and one of the report’s authors.
Thank you for being here.
Can you tell me about SNAP and its levels?
It is set.
Elaine: That’s right.
SNAP is the first line of defense in federal and nutrition programs to address food insecurity, with a robust evidence base suggesting it not only improves food supply but also has the potential to reduce poverty, provide economic benefits to the economy, and reduce health care costs.
So that’s really important.
The scheme provides a monthly benefit, the amount of which is set based on a basket of market goods that the government calls the Saving Food Scheme.
That food plan and its underlying assumptions had not been updated in decades, until 2021.
Back then, the snaps were somewhat more relevant, but the context was lost.
As he said, that wouldn’t cover the cost of a moderately priced meal, or the cost of most U.S. cabinet orders.
Ali: How big was the difference?
You said earlier that the disparities narrowed for a little while, but now they are back to very unequal levels again.
How to get there?
Elaine: Of course.
So after adjusting for 2021, we actually got benefits equivalent to about 1.5 times the price of a moderate meal across the U.S. So in the short term, it had a significant impact.
Even if SNAP were updated for inflation, so much has changed that the underlying benefit is still not enough, as it is an amount sufficient to purchase a meaningful meal in terms of health and nutrition.
So, the current situation after several cost of living increases is pretty much back to where it was before the first 2021 update.
Ali: Where in the country is inequality greatest?
Elaine: Some of the counties with the biggest disparities, like New York and the coasts, are not a surprise to us.
However, several of the top five most populous counties are actually rural, such as in Michigan, Idaho, and Massachusetts.
These are all rural locations with high transport costs and tend to be close to the primary hubs, driving up food prices.
Ali: I mentioned that discussions are ongoing in Parliament.
Please explain that in detail.
Elaine: Of course.
The biggest debate surrounding SNAP revolves around a requirement Congress introduced in its most recent bill in 2018 that requires SNAP benefits to be renewed or reviewed at least every five years.
However, people didn’t anticipate the scale of the 2021 update, which has led to some inconsistencies.
That’s why the current House bill, which passed out of committee this week, calls for freezing SNAP benefits going forward.
So, while it will be updated for inflation, we have no ability to take action against violations or nutritional guidance in how people buy and prepare food.
We started off inadequate, and as a result, SNAP costs are expected to be reduced over time, exacerbating the inadequacies, but what does this mean?
There are already shortages in most counties, but the gap will widen.
ALI: With regards to the SNAP program more generally, studies have shown that participation in the SNAP program is associated with lower food and household nutritional quality and poorer child health, but is this a problem with SNAP or are there other underlying factors that indicate why families and households need SNAP benefits?
Elaine: That’s a great question.
The reality is, we look at the purchasing patterns of people on SNAP and low-income people who don’t have SNAP, and there’s not a huge difference between them.
The truth is, our country doesn’t have a very good diet.
If you’re on a low income and on a budget, you’re more likely to choose cheaper, higher calorie options over perishable, healthier options that are a bigger risk to purchase.
So what we’re seeing are the choices people have to make because they don’t have enough money to buy food.
Another thing to note is that diabetes and diet-sensitive diseases are widespread in the country.
These are not limited to low-income people who participate in SNAP.
That’s a bigger problem that we need to address because it spans the entire income continuum.
Ali: Elaine Waxman is a senior fellow at the Urban Institute. Thank you so much for joining us.
Elaine: Thank you for inviting me.
