Farm Bill Takes Historic Steps to Meet Americans' Nutritional Needs

Press Release

Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (CT-3), who served as a conferee, praised the conference report for the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (H.R. 2419), which makes the critical investments in our nation's food and farm economy and takes important first steps toward reform. Importantly, the bill demonstrates a renewed commitment to nutritional programs, including food stamps and the emergency food assistance program - to ensure Americans have an adequate diet.

"Today the House will debate and vote on a historic Farm Bill that has made significant strides to meet the nutritional needs of Americans," said DeLauro. "When you see the current state of the economy - with Americans facing rising food and fuel costs - the importance of the nutrition title is that much clearer. Each day 12.6 million children and 22.8 million adults experience hunger at some point during the day - including nearly 31 percent of the population in rural areas who rely on food stamps. Often, when hard times hit, it is not the rent or heating bill were families cut back, but on purchasing food."

Notably the Farm Bill focuses on nutrition programs, which receive a $10.361 billion increase, as well as indexes benefits to the cost of living. It ends years of erosion of food stamp benefits increasing the standard deduction from the current level of $134 to $144, and then indexes it to inflation, as well as the minimum benefit, which has been frozen at $10 for the past 30 years, finally will get an increase to $14 and more importantly, be indexed to inflation.

On the importance of the nutrition title, DeLauro added, "This Farm Bill gives working families a fighting chance as they face the rising cost of food - ending the years of erosion of food stamp benefits. In the process we will help more than 10 million people - families with children, seniors, and people with disabilities, afford an adequate diet.

This bill also increases funding for The Emergency Food Assistance Program - food banks, food pantries, and soup kitchens - from the current level of $140 million to $250 million per year; indexes the amount to inflation; and provides $50 million up front in fiscal year 2008 to address the crisis.

Continued DeLauro, "Nor do we ignore our global responsibilities and the growing international food crisis- providing an additional $84 million for the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program for infant, child, and school nutrition programs in underdeveloped countries. And we made sure that there was a place in this bill to make important progress on renewable energy, Country of Origon labeling, and Specialty Crops - the fruits and vegetables that are farmed in my part of the country and are so important to healthy diets.

"We have a responsibility in this country to assist the most vulnerable among us, to ensure that Americans no longer go without adequate food. With this bill we can begin to meet our obligations."

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