SNAP, America’s largest anti-huger program turns 60 and food insecurity is on the rise
Author: Mary Pritchard, Feeding Louisiana, Director of Policy and Advocacy
Featured on NOLA.com - Letters: America’s largest anti-hunger program turns 60
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides monthly benefits to help low-income households buy food. Hunger can affect any one of us with a change in circumstances. A sudden job loss, a health emergency, or rising costs can lead to dire financial straits for anyone. The latest food insecurity data paints an alarming picture.
A recent U.S. Department of Agriculture report found that 44 million people experienced food insecurity in 2022—a 31% increase from the previous year. Data from Feeding America’s 2024 Map the Meal Gap study illustrates how food insecurity shows up in local and rural communities across the country. The data makes clear that in every parish and congressional district in Louisiana, there are people who cannot afford the food they need to thrive. Neighbors facing hunger reported needing almost $25 more per week to meet their food needs in 2022. In Louisiana, food insecurity jumped to 16.9% in 2022 and is especially high in rural communities, including eight rural parishes experiencing food insecurity above 20% of their entire population.
Another alarming statistic is that statewide, over one-third of people experiencing food insecurity in Louisiana are children. Food insecurity is defined by the USDA as a lack of access to enough food for an active, healthy life for all family members.
SNAP is celebrating its 60th anniversary and serves as lifeline to families and individuals experiencing food insecurity. SNAP provides timely and targeted support to help people put food on the table during tough times, serving children, seniors, and people with disabilities. However, almost 50% of people facing hunger earn too much to qualify for SNAP according to Map the Meal Gap. This is one of the largest gaps between food insecurity and program eligibility in years.
Rising food prices make it tough for anyone to keep food on the table, making these programs more important than ever. We at Feeding Louisiana believe everyone in our country should have access to the food and resources they need to thrive, no matter their race, background, or ZIP code.
Food insecurity is an urgent issue that Feeding Louisiana and other hunger-relief organizations are tirelessly working to address, but strengthening federal nutrition programs is critical to ending hunger. We need leaders in Congress to advance a bipartisan farm bill that strengthens SNAP and other programs addressing food insecurity, supports our farmers and food banks, and helps families in Louisiana access the nutritious food they need.
While there are many complex issues to work out in Congress, hunger should not be one of them—we have local solutions that work, and food banks across the country are doing the challenging work to take care of our communities. What we need is for Congress to do its part.
