Source: Feeding America news release
As the 50th anniversary of National Ag Day approaches, Feeding America is proud to announce the launch of Farmers Feed America. This broad coalition shows that farmers and food banks are united in calling for a strong 2023 Farm Bill that both meets the needs of America’s farmers and protects federal nutrition programs that help millions of people facing hunger put food on the table.
This new nonpartisan coalition is made up of farmers, food companies, food retailers, and hunger-relief organizations, including Feeding America and the American Farm Bureau Association.
“The Feeding America network of food banks is grateful for the vital contribution of agriculture in the movement to end hunger,” said Feeding America CEO Claire Babineaux-Fontenot. “Food banks across the nation rely on a vast system of producers, growers, farmers, and farm workers to supply fresh, nutritious food to people facing hunger. By supporting programs and policies that move healthy food from farms to families facing hunger, Congress can strengthen U.S. agriculture and help ensure families have the food they need to thrive.”
March 21 is National Ag Day, a day to thank U.S. farmers for producing the safest and highest-quality food in the world. It is also a chance to recognize the critical partnerships between farmers and food banks that help people facing hunger gain access to food.
During the pandemic, farmers, food companies and retailers came together with food banks to connect families facing hunger to nutritious food in innovative new ways. Bolstered by federal support, many initiatives, programs and a collective effort across the country, people experiencing food insecurity were able to access 6.6 billion meals from the Feeding America food bank network in fiscal year 2021 and 5.2 billion meals in fiscal year 2022.
This year’s farm bill reauthorization process is an opportunity to reflect on the innovations that worked during the pandemic and apply those learnings to future food and nutrition policy. The farm bill is the nation’s centerpiece federal legislation for food and farming, and it is only reauthorized about once every five years. This legislation has historically created pathways for farmers to take the nutritious food they grow and provide it to individuals and families facing hunger.
The Farmers Feed America coalition has come together to establish shared principles for the next farm bill that help meet the continued needs of communities facing hunger, bolster our nation’s food resilience, and enhance markets for farmers and ranchers. The coalition urges members of Congress to adopt these principles as they write the 2023 Farm Bill.
To see the full list of coalition members, read the coalition’s shared principles, and learn more about how farmers feed America, visit FarmersFeedAmerica.org.
ABOUT FEEDING AMERICA:
Feeding America is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States. Through a network of more than 200 food banks, 21 statewide food bank associations, and over 60,000 partner agencies, food pantries and meal programs, we helped provide 5.2 billion meals to tens of millions of people in need last year. Feeding America also supports programs that prevent food waste and improve food security among the people we serve; brings attention to the social and systemic barriers that contribute to food insecurity in our nation; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry. Visit www.feedingamerica.org, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
