TEFAP Alliance Blog

November 2003

In This Issue:
• New Name and Web Site
• No Action Yet on Fiscal Year 2004 Appropriations
• Food Insecurity and Hunger on the Rise
• USDA Launches New Commodity Web Site
• More Foods in the Pipeline
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New Name and Web Site
The California TEFAP Alliance is changing its name and broadening its scope. In an effort to increase the influence of TEFAP agencies nationwide, the California TEFAP Alliance is becoming the TEFAP Alliance. Our efforts are supported primarily by California Emergency Foodlink, a statewide food distribution agency based in Sacramento.
We have also launched a new web site – http://www.tefapalliance.org – that we invite you to visit and help us expand. Please send any TEFAP, commodity, or food distribution related articles or announcements to zyweinberg@earthlink.net for inclusion in WASHINGTON UPDATE and/or on the web site. Thank you for your work on and interest in TEFAP!

No Action Yet on Fiscal Year 2004 Appropriations
Funding for federal programs for fiscal year 2004, including TEFAP, remains in limbo. Most government agencies are currently operating under a “continuing resolution,” or CR, that funds ongoing activities at fiscal year 2003 levels through November 21. It is Congress’ intent to complete appropriations bills and adjourn for the year prior to the Thanksgiving holiday, but little progress is evident.
An agriculture appropriations bill for fiscal 2004 (H.R. 2376) passed the House on July 14 and was finally approved by the Senate on November 6. Although a conference committee will begin to meet to iron out differences between the two bills, it is more likely that agriculture appropriations will be folded into a new omnibus CR before the current one expires.
Funding for TEFAP remains at $140 million for food purchases and $50 million for storage, processing, transportation, and administration, with authority for the Secretary of Agriculture to transfer up to $10 million of the food money to administration.

Food Insecurity and Hunger on the Rise
Hunger and food insecurity in the United States increased between 2001 and 2002, according to federal government figures released on October 30. “The prevalence of food insecurity increased from 10.7 percent of households in 2001 to 11.1 percent in 2002, and the prevalence of food insecurity with hunger increased from 3.3 percent to 3.5 percent,” a study from the Economic Research Service (ERS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture found.
Those percentages translate into nearly 1.3 million more food insecure people in the nation. Overall, 34.9 million people were living in food-insecure households last year, including 13.1 million children. A total of 3.8 million people, including 567,000 children, were classified as food insecure with hunger, meaning that at least some point during the year, those families could not afford enough food. ERS reported that such households experienced hunger for a few days in each month for eight or nine months of the year.
Food insecurity and hunger have risen annually since 1999, when the rates were 10.1 percent and 3.0 percent, respectively.
Food insecurity and hunger were higher in the South and West and lower in the Northeast and Midwest. The states with the highest food insecurity rates were: Utah, 15.2 percent; Mississippi and Texas, 14.8 percent; and Arizona, 14.6 percent. Hunger percentages were highest in Oklahoma, 5.1 percent; Oregon, 5.0 percent; Utah, 4.6 percent; and Mississippi, 4.5 percent.
In California, 11.7 percent of households were food insecure and 3.5 percent were food insecure with hunger.

USDA Launches New Commodity Web Site
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has created a new web site to provide a one-stop information source for federal commodities. The Commodity Food Network (http://www.commodityfoods.usda.gov) provides on-line resources and services about the purchase and distribution of USDA commodities.
“The Commodity Food Network will enable schools, community feeding organizations, state agencies, Native American tribal organizations and others to have instant access to information about USDA commodities,” said USDA Secretary Ann Veneman. “The Commodity Food Network allows us to better serve low-income families, state and local agencies, schools, and our partners in food and agriculture who are involved in USDA commodity programs,” she added.
Comprehensive information about commodity codes, disaster assistance, food purchasing, food safety, ordering, and recalls are posted on the site. There are also links to USDA agencies, partner organizations, and laws and regulations related to commodities.

More Foods in the Pipeline
In the latest news on bonus items, USDA has announced a purchase of more than six million pounds of fresh pears for child nutrition and commodity programs, including TEFAP. Also, the Florida Department of Citrus has urged USDA to buy 90 million gallons of orange juice, but the federal government has not yet taken action on the offer.

WASHINGTON UPDATE is published periodically for the TEFAP Alliance by Weinberg & Vauthier Consulting, 419 West Broad Street, Suite 204, Falls Church, VA 22046; telephone: 703-532-5700; fax: 703-532-5780; email: zyweinberg@earthlink.net

Washington Update
Monday, November 17, 2003

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