的 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

通常被称为农业法案的联邦立法实际上应该被称为 食品和农场 补充营养援助计划(SNAP)是其中一个重要原因. As the largest single program funded under the 食品和农场 bill, SNAP是数千万美国家庭抵御饥饿和粮食不安全的第一道防线. It’s a solid investment that helps participants put food on their tables, and its benefits ripple out to entire 社区. 但近年来, 这项具有成本效益的计划一再受到反对者的攻击，他们试图减少或取消数百万低收入者的福利.

这种对立法机构的攻击根植于有关该计划的持久的、分裂的神话. 事实上, 有大量证据表明，SNAP的好处跨越了人口和地理界限, helping individuals and families in rural, 城市, 郊区社区. SNAP is a program the country should be able to unite around.

一个有效的程序

的 largest nutrition safety net in the federal budget, SNAP serves more than 22 million American households. In 2021, the program lifted some 2.800万人 摆脱贫困.

And less food insecurity means better lives. An ever-growing body of evidence shows that SNAP delivers real, significant benefits for participants. A 2015 report by the White House Council of Economic Advisers, 例如, 发现了将SNAP参与与广泛的积极成果联系起来的证据, 包括:

• Improved birth weight and neonatal health
• 改善学校表现
• More medical checkups and fewer hospital visits

研究也将SNAP联系起来 with better self-reported health, better access to preventive health care, 更低的医疗成本.

这些对参与家庭健康和福祉的积极影响证明了该计划的价值. But SNAP's benefits don't stop there.

SNAP helps rural and 城市 社区 alike

SNAP's benefits reverberate across the entire nation, 打动了各个年龄段的人, 比赛, 邮政编码, 政治说服. 该方案对农村地区和小城镇的经济健康发展起着特别重要的作用. 使用美国农业部最新指定的“都市”(城市)和“非都市”(农村)县，以及美国人口普查局在2017年至2021年间收集的SNAP使用数据, UCS made a surprising discovery: more than 72 percent of the top 1,根据SNAP人口加权参与的000个县是非都市(农村)县.

SNAP's economic benefits go far beyond food

SNAP not only helps participating families keep food on the table, 同时也为住房等其他必需品创造了家庭预算空间, 公用事业公司, 运输, and health care—further broadening the economic reach of the program.

这意味着SNAP的经济效益并不局限于食品行业. 从能源到制造业等广泛的经济领域都感受到了这种影响.

By improving the standard of living for millions of people, SNAP provides a vitally important economic boost, supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs. And because SNAP participation is highest in low-income areas, 这些积极的经济影响正在到达最需要它们的社区.

谁是SNAP的参与者?

我们的分析发现，农村地区不到10%的SNAP参与者是没有家属的健全成年人. 和城市参与者一样, 其中绝大多数是儿童, 护理人员, 老年人, 或者有残疾的成年人.

放眼整个美国 2020年的SNAP家庭，我们发现:

• 38.1 percent were households with children;
• 28.6 percent were households with elderly people; and
• 21.8 percent were households with non-elderly people with disabilities.

Making SNAP stronger in the next 食品和农场 bill

我们知道SNAP是对家庭健康和福祉的明智投资, 社区, 还有我们的经济. Efforts to weaken the program make no sense.

相反，我们应该采取行动加强SNAP的积极影响. 实现这一目标的一种方法是最大限度地发挥其他联邦项目的效益，这些项目通过提供营养来扩大SNAP的覆盖范围, locally grown fruits and vegetables more available and affordable. Here are three good examples worth supporting:

• 的 Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP) 通过提供购买新鲜农产品的激励措施，扩大获取新鲜农产品的渠道, local produce with SNAP dollars. 它支持当地组织，如农贸市场，为参与市场的每一美元提供匹配的SNAP. 的 value of SNAP benefits is thus effectively doubled at those markets. GusNIP改善了粮食不安全状况，但也改善了使用它的人的营养状况 多吃水果和蔬菜 与其他美国消费者相比. 每花费一美元GusNIP也会在当地社区产生大约两美元. 然而, 因为GusNIP的资金不是直接分配给SNAP参与者，而是分配给有限数量的组织和企业, it is not available everywhere and the funding can run out. 在下一个食品和农业法案中，GusNIP的资金应该扩大到更多的SNAP家庭.
• 的 健康的食物 Financing Initiative (HFFI) 提供赠款和贷款，帮助在服务不足的地区建立或扩大当地拥有的健康食品零售店. 近年来，大约一半的赠款用于农村地区. But HFFI is a small program: in 2021, it awarded about $22 million across 134 projects, with only 47 percent of all applicants receiving funding.
• 的 Local Agriculture Market Program (LAMP) 实际上是一系列投资于当地和区域食品基础设施的项目吗, 包括农贸市场, 食品中心, 和合作. Many of its investments are in areas with low access to fresh produce, with new markets striving to make fruits and vegetables more affordable. 根据2014年的一项评估，LAMP项目完成了他们设定的目标, nearly $15 million in awards enabled new markets to reach more than 3.5 million producers and consumers, and local economies saw $2.67 in benefits for every dollar invested.