Health & Fitness Ambitious White House Plan Aims To End Hunger In U.S. By 2030 The lofty plan to end hunger in America by 2030 is anchored on proposed legislation, regulatory changes and public-private partnerships. Replies (8)
U.S. food banks, including this one in Alameda, California, have seen long lines since the beginning of the pandemic. The White House unveiled plans this week to end hunger in America by 2030. “I know we can do this,” President Joe Biden said. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
ACROSS AMERICA — An ambitious plan to end hunger by 2030 unveiled at the first White House summit on food insecurity and diet-related diseases in nearly 50 years would, among other things, expand access to free school lunch programs to millions of kids, make the child tax credit permanent and raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour.
The conference Wednesday addressed myriad issues surrounding hunger, came as inflation takes a bigger bite out of Americans’ food budgets and as U.S. food banks nationwide report near-record demand for food assistance. At the same time, donations to Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger relief organization, are declining, making it harder yet for local food assistance programs to fill the gap.
“I know we can do this,” President Joe Biden said to an auditorium full of public health officials, private companies, congressional officials and Americans who have struggled with hunger. Administration officials have already secured $8 billion in private-sector and nonprofit funding to anchor the hunger elimination plan, outlined in a 44-page report.
Other parts of it require regulatory change or congressional approval and funding, an uphill climb for Biden amid recession fears and midterm elections that could change the majority in Congress. But the stakes are high. Not only are some Americans outright hungry — an estimated 34 million people, including 9 million children are food insecure, according to Feeding America — poor nutrition and the diseases caused by it have wide-ranging implications, affecting everything from military readiness and workforce productivity to academic achievement and mental health, the administration said.
Biden called on both the public and private sectors to play a bigger role in making nutritious food available in food deserts, sprawling sections of urban cities, barren of grocery stores and access to healthy foods. The nearly 40 million Americans who live in such areas tend to be lower-income and people of color, according to the conference report, and often don’t have transportation to get to places where healthy food is abundant.
The administration called on the Federal Trade Commission to “vigorously” enforce antitrust laws that could lead to price gouging and limited access in vulnerable communities, and also investigate and publish a report on how supply chain disruptions have affected wholesale and retail markets for groceries. In particular, the FTC was also asked to look at how independent grocery stores, which are more common in underserved urban and rural areas, are affected by the disruptions. “First, help more Americans access the food that will keep their families nourished and healthy — a lot of food deserts out there,” Biden said at the conference. “Second, give folks the option and information they need to make healthy dietary choices. Thirdly, help more Americans be physically active.” The plan calls for expanding eligibility to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP; expanding access to free school meals to 9 million more children over the next decade, and extending summer meal benefits to more children. It would expand health care programs to cover meals tailored to medical needs, and “If you look at your child, and you can’t feed your child, what the hell else matters?” Biden said. “In America, no child should go to bed hungry. No parent should die of disease that can be prevented.” Other aspects of the plan would prioritize the role of nutrition and food security in overall health, including taking on the fast food industry and other marketing promoting sugary drinks, candy and unhealthy snacks.
It would make it easier to make healthy food choices with front-of-package nutrition information; make it easier for people in “nature-deprived communities” to be more physically active by both increasing the number of parks and expanding access to transit programs to get to national parks and other open spaces. The $8 billion, including outright donations and in-kind contributions for services, comes from private companies, charitable foundations and industry groups. Contributions and commitments include: A $20 million commitment from the Novo Nordisk pharmaceutical company, whose focus areas include diabetes and obesity, to improve access to healthy foods and safe spaces for physical activity in marginalized communities;
A $3.85 million commitment from the Publix grocery chain to supply food to local food banks and establish free mobile food pantries;
$22 million from the Danone food company for a program to help “at least 300 million Americans to build healthier dietary habits”; and
A commitment from the Meijer grocery chain to offer discounts of up to 10 percent as an incentive for SNAP users to buy fruits and vegetables. The federal food stamp program, now known as SNAP, or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, came out of the first White House summit on hunger held in 1969 during the Nixon administration. It also spurred the development of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, known as WIC, and changes to food labels. “I want all of us to take a moment to recognize the significance of what we are about to do,” Biden said. “Something like this hasn’t happened in more than 50 years. Let’s keep the momentum of today going in a new and meaningful, strong way so that we can fully meet this important moment for our children, for our community and for our country.” How You Can Help Patch has partnered with feeding America since 2020 to help raise awareness of hunger in our local communities. A persistent national problem, food insecurity was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and high inflation. Feeding America, which supports 200 food banks across the country, cites USDA figures that show 34 million people, including 9 million children, in the United States are food insecure. This is a Patch social good project; Feeding America receives 100 percent of donations. Find out how you can donate in your community or find a food pantry near you.
Ambitious White House Plan Aims To End Hunger In U.S. By 2030
