WIC

USDA’s Economic Research Service says participation in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children is declining. Fiscal year 2020 marked the 10th consecutive fiscal year WIC participation declined. On average, 6.2 mil ...

Participants in WIC may soon see a temporary increase to their benefits. The increase will apply to the purchase of fruits and vegetables. With $490 million provided by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, USDA has offered the option of boosting the cash-value voucher benefit by more than three times the current amount for up to four months to provide additional relief during the pandemic ... R

What are some of the ways that rural child hunger is being addressed through recent legislation and existing USDA programs? "An increase in the SNAP benefit. We now have over a million Americans that are using the SNAP benefit online because they are having a difficult time maybe accessing a grocery store, now they have an opportunity to use this additional online," noted Agriculture Sec

USDA's WIC program has been under the spotlight as of recent. "Which is designed to provide healthy foods for pregnant women, and young moms, and young children. That's a program that has been incredibly effective except that, as I said earlier, we have some challenged in terms of access," noted Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack ...

On Monday, the USDA extended more than a dozen nutrition program flexibilities during the pandemic. The extension ensures participants in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, better known as WIC, continue receiving the food and health support during the COVID-19 pandemic ...

On Monday, the Senate Agriculture Committee sent a request to Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue to extend existing flexibilities for SNAP and WIC customers. The Senators seek the extension through September 30, 2020, as authorized by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act ...

Earlier this week, Washington Representatives Kim Schrier and Ron Wright from Texas introduction legislation allowing states to increase WIC cash value vouchers for fresh fruits and vegetables. Under the bipartisan proposal, WIC Benefit Flexibility During COVID-19 Act, recipients of Women, Infants and Children Nutrition Program (WIC) would get $35 until the end of September ...

Produce suppliers are looking for federal assistance, as many industry sectors seek relief from the impact of the coronavirus outbreak. The United Fresh Produce Association, representing the fresh produce supply chain, has requested urgent action by Congress to mitigate the challenges facing the sectors that have been impacted most severely ...

The Trump administration has proposed consolidate USDA safety-net programs, including food stamps in a revamped and renamed health department, as part of a sweeping government reorganization.   The White House said the federal government is bloated, opaque, bureaucratic and inefficient.  So...