Providing Safe and Nutritious Food to Those in Need

Floor Speech

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Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, this morning I had the privilege of addressing more than 1,200 advocates who were in Washington this week for the National Anti-Hunger Policy Conference.

As chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture Subcommittee on Nutrition, I am grateful for the work these groups do to alleviate hunger and ensure that people have access to nutritious food.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and other Federal nutrition programs are vital to ensuring that all Americans have healthy foods within reach, whether low-income populations, the elderly, or those living in areas with strained access to nutritious food.

SNAP, as well as the USDA's commodity distribution programs, support agriculture and lessen the effects of poverty on our most vulnerable citizens.

In advance of the next farm bill, we will continue to identify ways to work alongside State and local organizations to help provide safe and nutritious food for those who need it most.

Mr. Speaker, a healthy diet for many Americans may have nothing to do with commitment, but rather accessibility. Limited access to supermarkets and grocery stores with fresh, nutritious food can be a challenge in both rural and urban communities. These are called ``food deserts.''

This is a particular concern for SNAP, which intends to provide nutrition to millions of Americans.

According to the USDA, to qualify as a low-access community, at least 500 people, or at least 33 percent of the population, must reside more than 1 mile from a supermarket or a large grocery store. For rural areas, the distance is more than 10 miles.

It is difficult to eat healthy when the easiest store to get to primarily provides packaged and processed food. SNAP recipients may find a local market convenient, but it offers high-calorie foods with minimal nutrition value. These foods can often be a staple for families with limited resources.

It is my hope that we can redouble our efforts to increase access to fresh foods for communities throughout the country.

No one in America, Mr. Speaker, should go hungry, and everyone deserves a full shot at living a full, healthy, and productive life.

Through strong policy and the advocacy of our Nation's antihunger and antipoverty groups, we truly can work to end hunger once and for all.

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