Grainnet

America's Second Harvest Food Bank Survey: American Hungry Need Quick Passage of Farm Bill

Chicago, IL—Food banks across America are reporting a significant increase in the number of people seeking emergency food assistance, at the same time they are experiencing dwindling food inventories, forcing many food banks, soup kitchens and food pantries to cut back food distribution and adjust operations to meet demands.

Meanwhile, Congress is expected to vote on the Farm Bill this week, which President Bush has threatened to veto.

Enactment of the bill would dramatically improve the situation facing low-income Americans and emergency feeding organizations by providing more funding for federal nutrition programs, including the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) and the Food Stamp Program.

In a "Local Impact" survey of 180 food banks, conducted by America's Second Harvest between late April and early May 2008, 99 percent of respondents reported an increase in the number of people being served today compared to one year ago.

The average increase reported was between 15 and 20 percent.

More than 90 percent of the respondents cited increasing food and fuel prices as a primary factor driving the increases in need.

Other factors included inadequate food stamp benefits, unemployment, underemployment, and rent or mortgage costs.

"We live in a country where no one should go hungry, and hungry Americans are facing the worst times they have seen in recent years," said Vicki Escarra, president and chief executive officer of America's Second Harvest - The Nation's Food Bank Network.

"Our food banks and their agencies are so incredibly strapped to meet the needs of more people turning to our system for help right now.

"If we do not see a Farm Bill enacted as quickly as possible to bring immediate relief to this tragic situation, our nation will witness a catastrophe for low-income men, women and children."

More than 80 percent of the food banks surveyed indicated an inability to adequately meet the demands of hungry people without having to reduce the amount of food or their operations.

Nearly 55 percent of food banks surveyed reported that their agencies, including soup kitchens and food pantries, have reduced or are considering reducing the amount of food offered to clients.

Nearly 50 percent of food banks have or are considering reducing the variety of food made available to agencies due to diminished supplies.

And, nearly 44 percent of food banks reported that they have or are considering cutting back the amount of food made available to their agencies.

Food banks have experienced about a $200 million decline in USDA commodities entering the charitable food distribution system because a healthy farm economy has required less intervention from the federal government to buy surplus food to support farmers. As a result, there is a growing trend among food banks of purchasing food, rather than relying solely on donated food sources, to feed people who need help.

More than 45 percent of food banks surveyed reported that they have or are considering diverting funds from other areas to purchase food in order to feed people in their community.

The Farm Bill would begin replenishing this critical food source by providing $250 million a year for TEFAP and indexing the amount for inflation.

"I've seen a lot of empty shelves around the country, and it is not hard to imagine in this weakening economy how stretched food banks are to find food," said Escarra.

"This coupled with such large increases in the number of people we need to feed has left food banks to make very difficult choices.

"Unfortunately, in some cases, agencies are shutting down or turning clients away. This is why we need a new Farm Bill now."

Anecdotes from the survey included stories of former donors now standing in line to receive food assistance; children saving food they get through reduced priced or free school lunch and breakfast so they would have something to take home to eat for dinner; and parents losing their jobs because they chose to feed their children and then could not afford to pay for transportation to work the next day.

"I commend the Congress for providing major new investments in federal nutrition programs in this Farm Bill, and I urge the President to reconsider his opposition to this legislation and sign it into law," said Escarra.

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