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National Nutrition Programs
- Nutrition education should be part of all federal food assistance programs, and is especially important for the FSP, since it is exempted from nutrition guidelines that apply to other programs (Hunger Report 2006, Page 35).
- "…support a budget resolution that protects against cuts to the national nutrition programs and increases funding for poverty-focused development and humanitarian assistance… oppose efforts to instruct the Agriculture Committee to cut spending during budget reconciliation (Letter to the House Budget Committee, March 1, 2005, BFW Letters, 1998-Present)
- "Make Hunger History legislation…will be vitally important to ensure that federal nutrition programs remain strong and fully funded, especially now when hunger and poverty are on the rise" (2005 Offering of Letters handbook, Make Hunger History, Page 8).
- "The federal government should improve and expand the national nutrition programs so our nation's most vulnerable people won't go hungry." (Hunger Report 2004: Side Bar: Page 108).
- "Ensuring that the nutrition programs retain entitlement status and enhancing public-private partnerships in ways that support rather than burden the role of churches and charities will keep the United States on track to meet the 2010 goal of cutting hunger in half" (Hunger Report 2004: Side Bar: Page 62).
- Are we on track to end hunger?…This report finds that the most direct way to reduce hunger in the United States is to improve and expand the national nutrition programs (Hunger Report 2004, Page 1).
- The ultimate goal of U. S. farm programs must be to promote sustainable agriculture, reduce rural poverty and eliminate food insecurity, both in the United States and throughout the world. Toward this end, the United States should: gradually eliminate tariffs on developing country agriculture exports, export subsidies and production-linked domestic support payments; support U.S. farmers who leave agriculture with adjustment assistance that would include counseling, job training, education reimbursement and transportation aid; support small and mid-size farmers with comprehensive rural development programs and technical assistance in adopting new technologies and developing greater economies of scale; establish provisions for farmers to help them sustain losses resulting from catastrophic weather events; strengthen assistance for farmers in meeting conservation goals and environmental mandates, including increased technical assistance, cost-share programs and incentive payments for use of environmentally friendly practices; increase research and regulation in areas, such as biotechnology, food safety, disease prevention and environmental quality; invest in rural communities by supporting economic development initiatives, job training, business promotion and infrastructure development, and reduce hunger in the United States (through nutrition and poverty reduction programs) and worldwide (through development assistance and trade opportunities), with this adding to the ongoing demand for food production (Hunger Report 2003, Page 55). Cross Reference: Agriculture (Domestic), Food Security (Domestic), Rural Development (International), Environment, Biotechnology, Trade, and Development Assistance.
- Policies especially should target low-income Americans, who are at higher risk of becoming overweight or obese. The connection between poverty, food insecurity and obesity must be realized, and insufficiencies in our federal safety net programs, such as the meager, monthly food stamp allowance, must be addressed. Larger grocery stores and farmers markets that offer a wide variety of highly nutritious foods also must become available in low-income neighborhoods. Cities also should make low-income neighborhoods safer and provide more sidewalks, bike paths and alternatives to cars (Hunger Report 2003, Side Bar: Page 55) Cross Reference: Overnutrition (obesity), Food Insecurity, and Food Stamps.
- "Working from Poverty to Promise will urge Congress to add poverty reduction as an explicit goal of TANF by:
- Allowing adults to gain the education and training necessary to move successfully into the workforce;
- Providing critical support for working poor families;
- Easing time limits; and
- Providing sufficient funding" (2002 Offering of Letters handbook, Working from Poverty to Promise, Page 8).
- "TANF needs to be changed to ensure that children would not suffer needlessly when the adults in their families reach their lifetime limit for benefits" (2002 Offering of Letters handbook, Working from Poverty to Promise, Page 9).
Send suggestions or comments to Institute@bread.org
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