United States of America

The United States of America (USA) is a country in North America, a federal republic of 50 states. With a total GDP of $20.81 trillion in 2020, the USA was recognized as the richest developed country on Earth with the most dominant economic power (Bureau of Economic Analysis , 2021).

America has more than enough food to feed everyone. But each year, billions of pounds of perfectly good food go to waste. Meanwhile, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, unemployment and food insecurity soared, putting over 42 million people, including the potential 13 million children, at risk of starvation (Feeding America, n.d.). Therefore, surplus food from affluent states in America is distributed to indigent states through different distribution networks, including food banks. Following are some of the measures undertaken by the USA to improve food security, nutrition, and American agriculture while reducing hunger of all Americans.

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT POLICIES & INITIATIVES  

 

NUTRTION ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS PROVIDED BY FNS 

The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) of the US Department of Agriculture focuses on providing nutritional assistance to individuals to prevent hunger and obesity while also increasing food security. The FNS works with public, private and non-profit partners to serve one in every five Americans through 15 domestic nutrition assistance programs (US Department of Agriculture, n.d.). They are as follows.

 

Food, Conservation, And Energy Act of 2008

SEC. 4301. State Performance on Enrolling Children Receiving Program Benefits for Free School Meals.

SEC. 4305. Whole Grain Products.

The Special Milk Program (SMP)  

Providing milk to children in schools and childcare institutions who do not participate in other Federal meal service programs. Schools in the Nation School Lunch or School Breakfast Programs may also participate.

The School Breakfast Program (SBP)

Provides nutritionally balanced breakfasts to qualified children in schools and residential childcare institutions.

 

 

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP)

The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)

The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP)

SEC. 4405. The Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Programs

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)/Food Stamps

This is the largest program working to fight hunger in America, which provides nutrition benefits to supplement the food budget of needy families so they can purchase healthy food and move towards self-sufficiency.

 

SEC. 4202. Emergency Food Program Infrastructure Grants.

The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) 

Providing free emergency food assistance to low-income Americans through emergency food providers like food banks. USDA provides 100% American-grown USDA Foods and administrative funds to states to operate TEFAP.

 

SEC. 4231. Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program.

Seniors Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) 

Designed to provide low-income seniors with access to locally grown fruits, vegetables, honey, and herbs.

Food and Nutritious Act of 2008 

SEC. 28. Nutrition Education and Obesity Prevention Grant Program.

Dietary Guidelines for Americans

Every 5 years, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) release the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, a key resource for health professionals and policymakers to help Americans enjoy a healthy eating pattern, promote health, and prevent chronic disease. It is used to inform the development of federal food, nutrition, and health policies and programs and serves as the evidence-based foundation for nutrition education materials that are developed by the federal government for the public (USDA, 2020).

OTHER NUTRTION PROGRAMS PROVIDED BY FNS

Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)

Provides federal grants to states for supplemental foods, health care referrals, and nutrition education for low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women, and to infants and children up to age five who are found to be at nutritional risk.

Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP)

The Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)

Food Assistance for Disaster Relief (FADR)

The Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP)

(Senate Committee on Agriculture,Nutrion,&Forestry, 2018)

 

COVID-19 IMPACT REDUCTION ASSISTANCE FROM FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act of 2020

Pandemic EBT/ P-EBT – Eligible (children who would have received free or reduced-price meals) school children receive temporary emergency nutrition benefits loaded on EBT cards that are used to purchase food (USDA, n.d.).

Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021

Economic Impact Payments (EIP) - onetime $600 direct cash payments (known as stimulus checks) were provided for qualified adults and children.

 

American Rescue Plan Act (ARP) of 2021  

Provided onetime stimulus checks amounting to $1,400 for qualified adults and children.

 

Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) program

Many families with children benefit from this, and it is linked to increased food consumption and increased spending on nutritious foods like fresh fruits and vegetables. (Rouse & Restrepo, 2021)

 

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS WITH LOCAL AUTHORITIES TOWARDS REDUCING HUNGER

Food and Nutritious Act of 2008

SEC. 30. Pilot Projects to Encourage the Use of Public-Private Partnerships Committed to Addressing Food Insecurity.

Feeding America is the largest hunger-relief nonprofit organization that is a nationwide network of more than 200 food banks that feed more than 46 million people through food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and other community-based agencies.

• Feeding America works to ensure that federal spending and the tax code provide the Feeding America network of food banks the resources they need to help families struggling with hunger.

• Throughout the budget process, Feeding America advocates with the Administration as well as Congress for strong support for federal nutrition programs.

• They also advocate for tax policies that strengthen charitable giving incentives, policies to encourage the donation of surplus wholesome food, and tax incentives like the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Child Tax Credit (CTC) that help lift working families out of poverty  (Feeding America, n.d.).