Nutrition in the United States
The most direct way to end hunger is through food-assistance programs. These programs weave a vital food safety net for millions of children, seniors, people with disabilities, and struggling families. Two major pieces of legislation govern most of these programs—the Farm Bill and the Child Nutrition Bill.
Congress must renew these laws every five years, providing an opportunity to improve the programs and ensure all Americans have access to nutritious foods.
The Farm Bill
In 2018, Congress passed, and the president signed the Agriculture Improvement Act.
The legislation protects and strengthens the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). It provides additional funding for Employment and Training pilot projects—including funding for specific populations such as older Americans, formerly incarcerated individuals, people with disabilities, and families facing multi-generational poverty.
The law also made permanent nutrition incentives in SNAP and funded a new program allowing healthcare providers to give prescriptions for low-income people to buy fresh fruits and vegetables. Many of these policy change recommendations were included in Bread for the Worlds’ background paper, How the U.S. Farm Bill Can Help End Hunger.
Child Nutrition Programs
Our federal government’s major child nutrition programs, including school meals, summer feeding, and the WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) nutrition program for pregnant and new mothers with small children, were up for renewal in 2015.
Despite passage of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act in 2010, which expanded and improved these programs, there is still room for further policy changes that ensure all eligible children have access to nutritious meals, especially during the summer months when children are most at risk of hunger.
Bread for the World continues to look for legislative opportunities to support that could strengthen child nutrition by:
- Streamlining summer and after-school meal programs
- Allowing some states to provide summer EBT (electronic benefits transfer) for a limited number of children
- Allowing some states to provide alternative summer meal deliveries under particular circumstances
The Facts
Nearly 13 million children in the United States—1 in 6—live at risk of hunger. Many of these children have parents who have jobs and work hard, but their wages aren’t high enough to cover the high costs of rent, transportation, and utilities—and daily meals.
Overall, 1 in 8 households in the U.S. struggles to put food on the table. While the number of Americans who struggle with hunger is slowly declining, rates of hunger are not yet back down to the pre-recession level of 2007.
Our federal government’s feeding programs serve as a lifeline for vulnerable children and families. Because children are hit especially hard by the effects of hunger and malnutrition, nutrition programs aimed at children are particularly important.
Only 1 out of every 10 grocery bags that feed people who are hungry come from church food pantries and other private charities. Federal nutrition programs, from school meals to SNAP, provide the rest. Our government’s child nutrition programs serve millions of children each year.
Most of these programs provide ready-to-eat food in places where children can be reached directly. Food provided through these programs meets science-based nutrition guidelines.
To receive free or reduced-price meals or WIC benefits, children must live in households that are “low-income” as defined by the federal government.
Tools
from our Resource Library
For Education
Climate, Racial Equity, and Hunger Series: Latino/a Communities
Climate Change Worsens Hunger in Latino/a Communities
Climate, Racial Equity, and Hunger Series: Indigenous Communities
Climate change threatens the traditions and lifestyles of Indigenous people.
Climate, Racial Equity, and Hunger Series: African American Communities
While climate change impacts everyone, regardless of race, policies and practices around climate have historically discriminated against and excluded people of color.
For Faith
Finding Hope, Ending Hunger on Both Sides of the Border: A Bilingual Latino Devotional
Devotional writers challenge us to feel the Spirit of God within us and to hear God’s urgent call to demand justice so all can put food on the table.The Bible on Health as a Hunger Issue
“As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him and established in faith.” These words from Colossians 2:6 remind us of the faith that is active in love for our neighbors.
The Bible on...
Faith Leaders' Unity Declaration on Racism and Poverty
A diverse body of Christian leaders calls on the churches and Congress to focus on the integral connection.
For Advocacy
Fact Sheet: Coronavirus (COVID-19) and SNAP
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is designed to respond to changes in need, making it well suited to respond to crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fact Sheet: Why We Need $200 Million for Global Nutrition Programs
Bread for the World and its partners are asking Congress to provide $200 million for global nutrition.
Fact Sheet: Hunger by the Numbers
In 2017, 11.8 percent of households in the U.S.—40 million people—were food-insecure, meaning that they were unsure at some point during the year about how they would provide for their next meal.