BPC’s Food and Nutrition Security Task Force Completes Work with Report on SNAP

Washington, DC – In advance of the 2023 Farm Bill debate, the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Food and Nutrition Security Task Force released its third and final report this morning with recommendations to improve the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and other nutrition assistance programs included in the multiyear, omnibus legislation.

With support from World Central Kitchen, the task force report, Making Food and Nutrition Security a SNAP: Recommendations for the 2023 Farm Bill, focuses on five key areas:  

• SNAP eligibility, benefit levels, and program administration;  
• Nutrition and eligible foods in SNAP; 
• SNAP integrity, technology, and retailer considerations; 
• Food distribution programs; and  
• Other food and nutrition programs authorized through the farm bill. 

After launching in May 2021, the task force co-chairs—former Agriculture Secretaries Dan Glickman and Ann Veneman, chef and founder of World Central Kitchen José Andrés, and FMI – The Food Industry Association President and CEO Leslie Sarasin—along with multiple public- and private-industry representatives debated issues, sought consensus on matters that impact the health and wellbeing of our entire nation.

“SNAP is our first line of defense against hunger in the U.S.,” said Andrés. “Taking steps to improve the adequacy, eligibility, and participation in SNAP will help promote food security and allow even more individuals the chance to thrive.” 

“All Americans must have access to healthy, safe, and affordable foods. Our recommendations to policymakers across this diverse group of individuals and organizations supports our commitments to the millions of Americans served through the federal feeding assistance programs,” said Sarasin.  

“SNAP and nutrition-related programs have a long history of bipartisan support, a rare occurrence in the current political climate, but it is something we must continue to strive for,” said Glickman. “While no one—including our task force—always sees eye to eye on issues, Democrats and Republicans in Congress can and should come together to review these programs and find ways to improve them. The U.S. has the most developed food security and anti-hunger programs in the world. We should be extremely proud of that and continue to move forward to help those still facing food insecurity.”

“Our work on the task force may be done but efforts to improve food and nutrition quality, security, value cannot stop here,” added Veneman. “We owe it to our nation to give everyone a chance to live a healthy life.” 

All of the recommendations included in the third report can be found here. 

At 1 p.m. ET, BPC will host a discussion on the priorities and processes for the upcoming farm bill with congressional staff; following that discussion, the task force co-chairs will discuss the recommendations from the SNAP report. Join online.  

Also available online are the Food and Nutrition Security Task Force’s previous reports, Improving Food and Nutrition Security During COVID-19, the Economic Recovery, and Beyond (Sept. 2021), and Strengthening the Child Nutrition Programs (Jan. 2022).