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| Nutrition Action Alert | April 4, 2008 |
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Rising Food Prices and the Need for Strong Nutrition Policy
Any trip to the grocery store confirms what the media has been paying a lot of attention to recently: rising food prices. Experts cite many reasons for the run-up in food prices, and while these experts are not always in agreement, some reasons being thrown around include rising fuel prices, increased demand from India and China, poor harvests in some parts of the world, and a growing thirst for corn-based ethanol.
For our purposes, it is not all that important to know why food prices are rising but what to do about it - especially for low-income Californians. The increased cost of monthly food bills has a disproportionate impact on low-income families because food expenditures represent a greater portion of their household budget. As food prices rise, it can mean both reduced spending on food as well as on other necessities, such as gas and utilities (whose costs are also rising), health care (costs also rising), and rent.
With rising food prices and an economy to which most are tagging the dreaded "R" word (recession), strong nutrition and income support policies are more important than ever. Nutrition policies, such as food stamps, TEFAP, WIC, and school meals, and income supports can help low-income Californians meet their nutritional needs without compromising necessary spending in other areas.
CFPA's 2008 legislative agenda recognizes the state budget deficit while still trying to address the nutritional needs of low-income Californians. Current legislation we are advocating for would streamline and improve the Food Stamp Program, allow for greater participation in school meals programs, and expand the School Breakfast Program to schools with significant populations of low-income students.
With food prices rising and the economy turning downwards, these programs are more important than ever and your support and advocacy for legislation to improve and expand nutrition assistance are equally important.
Recent articles and facts on rising food prices:
"Food Price Inflation Changes How We Shop", Associated Press"Shoppers Scrimp as Food Prices Rise", Reuters "As Jobs Vanish and Prices Rise, Food Stamp Use Nears Record", NY Times
FRAC Fact Sheet on Rising Food Costs
School Nutrition Bills Out of Assembly Education Committee!
CFPA-sponsored bills on expanding access to school breakfast to all severe need schools (AB 1966 - Garcia), using Medi-Cal data to enroll low-income kids in school meals (AB 2300 - Laird), and removing barriers to drinking water in schools (AB 2704 - Leno) all passed out of the Assembly Education Committee on Wednesday April 2nd! Thanks to all who helped us out with calls and letters of support.
AB 1966, on breakfast, and AB 2300, on connecting school meals to Medi-Cal, both head to the Assembly Appropriations Committee. We plan on posting sample letters of support to the Appropriations Committee soon. Check back on our legislative page.
Letters Needed for Food Stamp Bills
Two CFPA-sponsored bills on food stamps will be heard in two weeks and letters of support for these bills need to be in to the Assembly Committees by 5pm on Thursday, April 10th.
AB 2844 (Laird) would simplify reporting requirements for food stamps to every six months, bringing it in line with CalWORKS reporting requirements. AB 2844 will be heard in the Assembly Human Services Committee on April 15th. Click here for a link to our easily-personalized, sample letter of support.
AB 2726 (Leno) would authorize the state to use other sources of funding for the Healthy Purchase Pilot Program - the innovative pilot to increase the accessibility and affordability of fresh fruits and vegetables in low-income communities. AB 2726 passed out of the Assembly Health Committee on April 1st and will be heard in the Assembly Agriculture Committee on April 16th. Click here for a link to the easily-personalized, sample letter of support. |
In this issue:
Food Stamp Cuts Being Heard in Budget Sub-Committee: 4/16
On April 16th, the Assembly Budget Sub-Committee on Health and Human Services will hear proposed cuts to spending on food stamps. The Committee will take up proposed spending cuts to CFAP, California's food stamp program for legal immigrants, and the proposed four percent cut to food stamp administration.
Come to the Capitol and voice your opposition to these cuts at the sub-committee hearing! If you'd like an agenda for the hearing, please feel free to e-mail us.
Hunger Action Day Updates
and Info Mark your calendars for the annual Hunger Action Day! This year, Hunger Action Day will be on Wednesday May 7th! For more info, click on this flyer.
Nominate the person who you think best exhibits a commitment to ending hunger in your community for the Hunger Fighter Award given out at Hunger Action Day. Nominations are due on April 8th. Click here for more info on how to nominate someone.
Advocacy trainings are going on across the state, click here for contact information to learn more about trainings in your area. For folks in the LA area, click here for a list of trainings.
What was once thought of as the 2007 Farm Bill is now the 2008 Farm Bill and some would like it to become the 2009 Farm Bill.
There's been so much discussion about deadlines and baselines and spending limits and caps that it can make your head spin. We'll attempt to cut through all the policy jargon and get down to the issue we care about: adequate nutrition for low-income families.
The way things stand now is that Congress got an extension of the 2002 Farm Bill until April 18th. Hungry Americans cannot wait any longer as Congress drags its feet on this debate. With food prices rising and the demand for food stamps growing, it is imperative that the Farm Bill passes.
Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA) passionately describes the urgency in this quote:
M. Speaker, Get this--the Secretary of Agriculture publicly stated that he's not enthusiastic about increasing spending for nutrition programs above the $9.5 billion currently being discussed as part of the Farm Bill conference. I have news for the Secretary. Families going to food banks aren't enthusiastic about their struggles. People applying for food stamps aren't enthusiastic about the tough choices they're forced to make because their food stamp benefit isn't keeping up with the price of milk. Seniors aren't enthusiastic about having to take their medicines on an empty stomach. The Secretary should get out more into the real world and meet with some of these families. $9.5 billion is simply not enough. Not when families are choosing between food and heat. Not when the minimum food stamp benefit is still $10 a month, unchanged since 1977. Not when the price of milk eats more of the food stamp dollar today than last year, simply because food stamps aren't indexed for inflation. The Farm Bill Conferees should do the right thing and properly fund the nutrition title. Anything less is shameful.
(Source: FRAC Alert
4/4/08 citing a floor speech by Representative Jim McGovern (D-MA), 4/3/08)
Action information from FRAC: What is at
Stake: More than 35.5 million people in the U.S. live in households
that face a constant struggle against hunger. Food stamp benefits average a
mere $1 a person a meal; the minimum monthly food stamp benefit has been
stuck at $10 for three decades. Food stamp household asset limits have been
frozen for decades. Many food bank shelves are empty. The $11.5 billion in
new ten-year spending level that the House approved for the nutrition title
is critical to fund improvements in food stamp benefits, food stamp access,
and increased TEFAP commodity purchases. Recent media coverage on the Farm Bill: "Dems juggle needs in $286 billion farm bill", SF Chronicle |
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