Taking A Bite Out Of Its Food Insecurity In The US – Here’s One Way To Scrap The Problem Altogether
HEALTH
Craig Gundersen, Baylor University
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is set to permanently increase the value of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits by 25% above pre-pandemic levels in October 2021.
It’s the biggest change since 1979 to this anti-hunger program, commonly known as SNAP, which currently helps over 40 million Americans.
I’m a scholar who analyzes the causes and consequences of food insecurity, the technical term for when people can’t obtain the food they need for a balanced diet. I believe ramping up SNAP is sure to reduce the number of Americans experiencing food insecurity– a projected 45 million in 2020.
Previous research I conducted with other experts suggests that the planned increase, from US$121 to $157 per person for a family of four, could...