A Full Plate: Promoting Both Food and Nutrition Security at the Federal Level

Ensuring that all Americans have equitable access to affordable, nutritious foods is foundational to our nation’s health, education, and national and economic security. As part of National Nutrition Month celebrations in March, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack made clear that promoting food and nutrition security is a core priority for the agency and the Biden-Harris administration, a change from previous administrations that primarily focused on food insecurity.

With this announcement by USDA and with additional federal actions led by the administration, there is a clear shift to the inclusion of nutrition in programs and policies. BPC’s Food and Nutrition Security Task Force, which launched in May 2021, continues to provide policy recommendations to improve food and nutrition security for individuals across the United States. We are encouraged to see several of the recommendations put forth by the Task Force reflected in federal actions by Congress and the administration, including the recently released “USDA Actions on Nutrition Security.”