SNAP

You want to ensure your tax dollars are used properly. So does FNS. That is why we are continually working to improve federal administration and oversight of our programs. We undertake these efforts in order to ensure that resources are spent properly, effectively, efficiently, and as intended. When we learn of potential problems, we move quickly to act on what we learn. We did just that for some delivery route vendors whose behaviors raised suspicion.

Self-sufficiency and customer service are top priorities in the Food and Nutrition Service’s (FNS) mission to provide better service and “do right and feed everybody.” Self-sufficiency is a cornerstone of the American dream, and state-operated SNAP Employment and Training (SNAP E&T) programs, which leverage federal resources, are key to removing difficult employment barriers to help those on SNAP break the cycle of poverty.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Employment and Training (SNAP E&T) is central to USDA’s commitment to helping SNAP participants move to meaningful work while ensuring their access to nutritious food in tough times.

Breastfeeding rates in the United States fall short of those recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and other U.S. health organizations. If breastfeeding in the U.S. increased to medically recommended levels, what would be the economic impact on Federal programs?

Growing up in central New Jersey, I loved to eat the fresh fruit from the two pear trees my family grew in our backyard. I found it special that we had the chance to grow these healthy treats at home. Though I didn’t know it at the time, pears grow commercially in almost all 50 U.S. states, and are even the state fruit of Oregon. Even so, anyone who’s ever eaten a fresh, juicy pear knows they’re rather delicate and don’t always travel well.

The face of poverty has often been associated with the starving child in the slums of New Delhi, India or streets of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. While this is the reality for many children across the developing world, rural and urban poverty is often overlooked in developed countries, such as the United States.

Many Americans lead busy lives and don’t have a lot of time to prepare food for their families. Faced with greater time constraints from work, childcare, and commuting, they often turn to convenience foods. Convenience foods are defined as types of foods that save time in food acquisition, preparation, and cleanup.

As Americans, we care about our neighbors in need, and we also expect that the nutrition assistance benefits we pay for with hard-earned tax dollars are used as intended – to put food on the table. Public trust is a central part of USDA’s mission. To help meet that mission, the Department recently released the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Fraud Framework (PDF, 216 KB) to provide states with new and innovative resources to help combat recipient fraud and benefit trafficking.

Just a few weeks ago, I had an opportunity to visit the Goodwill of North Georgia Career Center in Decatur, Ga., to see firsthand how they help people in need in their community. The Career Center plays an important role in the lives of many hardworking men and women as home to several SNAP Employment & Training Programs (SNAP E&T) designed to help Georgians acquire the skills needed to find jobs that will enable them to support themselves and their families.

Households can have similar food needs, but often have different budgets with which to meet them. These budget differences may help explain observed differences in food spending and diet quality. A new report from USDA’s Economic Research Service digs into this issue using household level data from USDA’s National Household Food Acquisition and Purchase Survey (FoodAPS) to estimate the number of calories acquired and the amount of money spent to get them.