Letter to Honorable Kevin Shea, Acting Secretary of Agriculture - Gillibrand Presses USDA On Purchase And Distribution Of Kosher And Halal Food In Farmers To Families Food Box Program

Letter

Dear Acting Secretary Shea,
As the United States continues to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, as many as 29 million
Americans continue to face hunger and food insecurity.
1 The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this
existing problem and I have been deeply concerned by reports of shortages of kosher and halal food
available to the many observant individuals and families in New York State and throughout our country.
I believe that The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) and the USDA Farmers to Families
Food Box program should be more cognizant and culturally sensitive to our citizens with restrictive diets
due to religious beliefs. I am writing today to inquire how the USDA will make sure that federal feeding
programs are equitable and accessible for those with culturally or religiously sensitive diets.
In the four rounds of the Farmers to Families Food Box program, over 132.8 million food boxes
have been shipped throughout the United States.2 During the beginning rounds of this program, when
there were separate boxes for each food category, it was more accessible for kosher and halal families to
use this program. However, in late summer the boxes were designed to be exclusively mixed packages,
eliminating them as an option for these families. I am asking that the USDA reassess this this policy to
ensure that all families can benefit from this and future programs.
Neighborhoods with large Orthodox communities were already experiencing high
concentrations of poverty and hunger before the pandemic started. In the five boroughs of New York
City alone, there are more than 500,000 people living in poor or near-poor Jewish households.
Americans of all backgrounds and faiths are experiencing increased hunger because of the pandemic, and
many programs have been put forth to alleviate some of these issues. However, many in the Jewish and
Muslim community only eat kosher or halal food, and have not been able to benefit from these
programs because they do not provide these options.
I ask that you provide an update on the purchase and distribution of kosher and halal food in the
Farmers to Families Food Box Program and TEFAP, and provide what input and feedback USDA has
received from Jewish and Muslim communities when determining which products to be included in
these programs. Thank you, and I look forward to your timely response and attention to this matter.
Sincerely

Source