Foodlinks America – June 20, 2008
Foodlinks America – June 20, 2008
In this issue:
• Appropriations for 2009 Moving Ahead
• Farm Bill Passes Again
• Proposed Legislation
• Food Stamp Facts
• TEFAP Tidbits
• Native Nutrition Notes
• WIC Watch
• Obesity Round-Up
• Reports from the Field
• Small Bites
Foodlinks America is published 24 times a year by California Emergency Foodlink in Sacramento, CA and distributed by Weinberg & Vauthier Consulting, 6412 CR 116, Burnet, TX 78611; Zy Weinberg and Barbara Vauthier, Editors; email: bvauthier@tefapalliance.org.
Foodlinks America is not copyrighted, so the information can be freely shared with colleagues and friends, though attribution for reprinted articles is appreciated. For archived issues of Foodlinks America, go to: http://www.tefapalliance.org. To request a free subscription to the newsletter or to submit story ideas, contact Barbara Vauthier at: bvauthier@tefapalliance.org.
Appropriations for 2009 Moving Ahead
Congress is moving forward on spending allocations for federal programs in fiscal year 2009, which starts October 1, 2008. New authorization levels for several programs contained in the Farm Bill that finally passed this month (see story below) will provide advocates with opportunities to strengthen nutrition assistance, if legislators can be convinced to increase funding.
The House Appropriations Committee has begun circulating draft fiscal year 2009 allocations for various government functions under the budget resolution Congress has endorsed for next year. The full Committee is scheduled to meet on June 18, 2008 to consider those numbers. The Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee will meet the following day to review the needs of nutrition programs under its jurisdiction.
Discretionary programs that will be vying for funding increases include:
- The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), under which the authorization for transportation and storage funds has been increased from $60 million to $100 million a year, though no more than $50 million has ever been provided. Increased funding may be needed to store and distribute a 78 percent increase in commodity purchases;
- The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC Program), struggling to maintain caseloads in the face of rapidly-rising food costs, will need more money to do so;
- The Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), kept alive by Congress in spite of Administration efforts to end it, is seeking increased funding to expand elderly caseloads in current states and bring new states into the program;
- The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) needs a boost so the newly-allowed service of after school suppers can help low-income children whose parents lack the resources to feed them a good evening meal at home; and
- The Summer Food Service Program could use support for pilot projects that test the more efficient delivery of nutritious meals to low-income children in rural areas.
The Democratic majority in Congress has set an ambitious schedule for completing most fiscal year 2009 spending bills by the end of this month. Whether separate bills will ultimately proceed under the normal appropriations process or whether Congress will opt for a government-wide continuing resolution for next year remains to be determined. Meanwhile, other possible funding vehicles to augment food stamps and TEFAP to address hunger needs are proceeding separately, including a fiscal year 2008 supplemental appropriations bill for the war effort that extends unemployment benefits and emergency economic stimulus proposals.
Farm Bill Passes Again
For the second time in about a month, President Bush vetoed the Farm Bill and Congress overrode the veto. The Farm Bill Bush vetoed in May did not contain a section on trade due to an inadvertent clerical error. The one he axed on June 18, 2008 was complete, having been passed again by Congress to contain all originally-intended elements.
Congress quickly responded with override votes the same day and by similar margins as earlier votes – 80 to 14 in the Senate and 317 to 109 in the House. It was only the second override of Bush’s two terms.
“It has been a long time coming, but today’s veto override in the Senate completes action on the new Farm Bill, enacting the full bill, including provisions on foreign food assistance and agricultural trade,” said Senate Agriculture Committee chair Tom Harkin (D-IA). “The White House repeatedly tried to veto this measure, but could not stand in the way of critical farm, food, conservation and energy investments becoming law,” he added. “Not only did this bill pass both chambers with an overwhelming majority, but with the override votes, we held our majorities. This proves we have a good, strong, bipartisan Farm Bill. And after all of our hard work, it is a proud result for Congress as this critical legislation becomes law,” Harkin concluded.
Proposed Legislation
Among bills recently introduced in the 110th session of the U.S. Congress are the following:
House Resolution (H.R.) 3805: Introduced by Representative Keith Ellison (D-MN), the Food Stamp Equality Act would allow ex-offenders to receive food stamps to foster community reintegration.
H.R. 3976: Introduced by Representative Sander Levin (D-MI) and five co-sponsors, this legislation would amend the tax code to make permanent the deduction for contributions of food inventory by all corporations.
H.R. 3978: Introduced by Representative Gwen Moore (D-WI) and 12 co-sponsors, the Student Breakfast and Education Improvement Act would establish a program to improve the health and education of children through grants to expand school breakfast programs.
H.R. 4788: Introduced by Representative Zachary Space (D-OH) and one co-sponsor, this legislation would immediately address emergency shortages in food banks by providing $40 million to The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP).
H.R. 5802: Introduced by Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA) and 48 co-sponsors, the Food Assistance to Improve Reintegration Act would repeal the denial of food stamps to ex-offenders.
H.R. 6127: Introduced by Representative James McGovern (D-MA) and 18 bipartisan co-sponsors, this legislation would require the incoming President to call a White House Conference on Food and Nutrition.
H.R. 6175: Introduced by Representative Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), the Access to Books for Children (ABC) Act would provide vouchers for the purchase of educational books for infants and children participating in the WIC Program.
Senate (S.) 2784: Introduced by Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and two co-sponsors, the Meal Education and Labeling (MEAL) Act would enable customers to make informed choices about the nutritional content of standard menu items in large chain restaurants.
S. 2592: Introduced by Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and one co-sponsor, the Safe School Lunch Act would improve food safety through mandatory meat and poultry product recall authority and require the Secretary of Agriculture to improve communication about recalls with schools participating in the school lunch and breakfast programs .
S. 3108: Introduced by Senator John Kerry (D-MA) and five bipartisan co-sponsors, this legislation would require the incoming President to call a White House Conference on Food and Nutrition.
For bill summary and status information, along with the text of legislation, visit: http://thomas.loc.gov and enter the bill number.
Food Stamp Facts
Participation forging ahead: Nationwide food stamp participation stood at a near-record high in March 2008, with 27,878,875 people receiving benefits. The total was over 218,000 above February 2008 and up by more than 1.5 million people since March 2007. The states with the largest caseload increases between March 2007 and March 2008 were Florida, Nevada, Arizona, Idaho, Maryland, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. Growing unemployment drove many households to apply for food stamps and the inadequacy of wages to keep pace with food price inflations sent others in search of both government assistance and emergency food.
Trends in participation explored: Food stamp caseload developments over the past six years are analyzed in a new report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), “Trends in Food Stamp Program Participation Rates, 2000-2006.” The report notes that the national participation rate among individuals increased by two percentage points between 2005 and 2006,” and that, “increases in participation rates were largest for individuals in households without children, elderly persons, and non-disabled childless adults. Participation increased between four and five percent for these groups.” For further information, go to: http://www.fns.usda.gov/oane/menu/Published/FSP/FILES/Participation/Trends2000-2006Sum.pdf.
TEFAP Tidbits
New entitlement funds released: The recently-passed Farm Bill made several key changes in The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), not the least of which provides an additional $50 million in entitlement foods to states in the current fiscal year – 2008. Distribution and use of those funds are discussed in a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) memo dated June 11, 2008 and available for review at: http://www.fns.usda.gov/fdd/programs/tefap/TEFAPPolicyMemo-FY08ResourcesGuidance.pdf .
Additional funds conversion allowed: Each year, USDA permits up to $10 million in TEFAP food purchase funds to be converted for transportation and storage needs to ease program administration. In light of “the sudden influx of commodity funds and increased availability of bonus and barter commodities,” some states wanted to change their conversion ratio. In the above-referenced memo, USDA gave states extra time (until June 16) to do so.
Commodity buying advice: The USDA memo provides deadlines for ordering procedures under TEFAP and notes several bonus items – canned peaches, ultra-high temperature milk, whole-grain rotini, and shell eggs – that are expected to be offered in the near future.
This kind of pork from Washington is welcome: USDA announced that it plans to purchase an additional $50 million in bonus pork products, some of which will be available to TEFAP. The Department will also buy $2 million worth of lamb.
Native Nutrition Notes
Needs for equipment and facilities detailed: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has submitted a report to Congress that summarizes the equipment upgrades and facility improvements Indian Tribal Organizations (ITOs) will need over the next four years to effectively continue to operate the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR). A USDA survey of more than 100 ITOs uncovered a need for nearly $15 million in FDPIR equipment – including vehicles, forklifts, freezers, and computers – and facilities, such as offices, loading docks, kitchens, and storage areas, by fiscal year 2012. Additional information is provided in a USDA newsletter for the FDPIR for June 2008 at: http://www.fns.usda.gov/fdd/programs/fdpir/fdpir_pubs/Newsletter_May2008.pdf.
Policy documents reviewed: Four recent policy memoranda from USDA concerning the FDPIR where also highlighted in the USDA newsletter. Memos from 2008 dealing with categorical eligibility, income exclusions, economic stimulus rebates, and displacement during disasters are summarized.
WIC Watch
EBT competition announced: The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced that grants are available to state agencies for the planning of electronic benefits transfer (EBT) systems under the WIC Program. A separate funding announcement was made for EBT project implementation grants under WIC. Grant applications are due July 7, 2008. For more information, go to: http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/EBT/grants08.htm.
Obesity Round-Up
Effects of child obesity: Child obesity can increase both short- and long-term health risks that have consequences in adulthood. A recent federally-supported study of some 8,000 children in kindergarten through third grade examined predictors of persistent childhood overweight and associated academic and socioemotional outcomes. Results show that socioeconomic status, gender, race, and behavioral and environmental factors influence risk of persistent overweight. The odds of children being overweight increased three percent for each additional hour of television that they watched per week and nine percent for each family meal per week that they did not experience. Overweight children progressed less than their non-overweight peers did in reading and math achievement, with overweight appearing to precede academic difficulties. More details may be found at: http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/ccr42/.
Reports from the Field – Monroe, GA and Douglas, AZ
News stories about the hardships being faced by working families are increasingly common, as the national economy continues to tank. The following account of people barely scraping by was circulated by the Reuters press service on June 5, 2008.
In the richest nation on earth, a rising number of people line up for free food because they are struggling to put meals on the table at home.
“Having a (low wage) job isn’t enough anymore. Having two or three jobs isn’t enough anymore,” said Marcia Paulson, spokeswoman for Great Plains Food Bank in North Dakota, where nearly half the households receiving food stamp benefits have one or more working adults.
Olga Medina’s story illustrates the dilemma for many on low wages who said they considered their need to resort to free food a humiliation in a country that prides itself on independence and stresses work as a sure route to success.
Medina works full time providing homecare for old people in Douglas, on Arizona’s border with Mexico. She said she earns $1,100 dollars a month with which she also supports her parents and a sick son, but is unable to make ends meet due to rising food and fuel costs.
Most weeks she forages for milk, fruit and vegetables in dumpsters outside the Safeway supermarket. One day last month she waited in line with 147 others outside the Douglas Area Food Bank for a grocery handout because she had no bread. “We have to put up with a lot of humiliation just to survive,” she said, putting on a pair of sunglasses to hide tears. “It’s not dignified but we are hungry and hunger is ugly.”
At a giant warehouse in Monroe, Georgia, scores of volunteers and paid workers using fork lifts or pallet jacks load food onto big trucks – everything from carrots to frozen spare ribs to canned goods. The warehouse is part of Angel Food Ministries, a national organization headquartered in Monroe that offers food at half price to people who need it. A typical food pack contains $60 of family groceries and is sold for $30.
The organization, which is linked to a church, purchases food in bulk at a discount and passes the savings on to 500,000 families a month who use its service in 35 states, distributing through a network of churches.
Its founder, Joseph Wingo, argued that perceptions that the U.S. economy was doing better than is reported failed to take into account a different reality for millions of Americans, not least senior citizens. “Go into any community that has been devastated by job losses and you will find there’s more people (struggling to provide food) than you think,” said Wingo, who set up the organization in response to demand in Monroe.
For Selena Lewis, 28, who owns a boutique in Alpharetta, Georgia, going to the North Atlanta Community Food Bank brings an added irony – just last year she donated some of her money to the bank as an act of charity. But the downturn has stifled demand at her boutique and some days she makes just a single sale, not enough to pay off debts and feed herself and her son and leading to a dilemma about whether to close the boutique and seek other work.
“I don’t want to give up on my dream because the hardest thing to do is to start,” said Lewis who said she gave up a high-paying corporate marketing job to start the boutique. Her story illustrates how small business owners are caught up in the downturn, but problems exist at the other end of the spectrum of age and opportunity.
Standing in line at the Douglas food bank was Brenda Salazar, a neatly dressed woman of retirement age, who worked for 25 years as a nursing assistant in the city. Now disabled, she receives $944 a month in benefits and food stamps, but after paying rent, utilities and gassing up her car, she had just $16 for food to tide her over. “I bought a gallon of milk, I bought a bag of green onions and a bag of grapes. It was $17. It was three items …. Now I have to pray that God will put gas in my car.”
Small Bites
Tied down no longer: Only six percent of American men now wear a tie to work.
Shrimp is big: Shrimp is the most popular seafood in the U.S., though 80 percent of the shrimp eaten here is imported.
An unfair share: Of the consumer food dollar, only 18 cents goes to the farmer.
Going against the grain: There is less than a nickel’s worth of wheat in Wheaties. The box costs more.
The dollars and sense of feeding children I: The cost of feeding one child school lunch during the K-12 years: $6,000.
The dollars and sense of feeding children II: The cost of treating one adult for illnesses related to poor childhood nutrition over their lifetime: $175,000.
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