The Case for State Food Action Plans

If states were to maximize their federal resources, they would help struggling residents meet nutrition needs while the economy continues to recover, according to an issue brief by the Center for American Progress.

States, feeling the crunch of sinking budgets and a faltering economy at time when low-income and unemployed residents urgently need state assistance, should develop “food action plans” to most efficiently use federal resources. Components of a well-rounded food action plan include an expanded participation in school breakfasts and summer meals, a reduction in school lunch bureaucracy and partnerships among farmers, businesses and low-income communities. Comprehensive food action plans allow states to take advantage of flexible federal programs. For example, states can vary in the degree to which they draw upon the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and school meals. Using a process called direct certification, states that enroll the highest proportion of eligible families in SNAP also receive the highest proportion of reimbursements for school meals.

The brief concludes by highlighting state-level policy work that is effectively combating hunger and urging the federal government to support states’ in their efforts to implement comprehensive food action plans.

The issue brief was published in February 2011 by the Center for American Progress, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of Americans through progressive ideas and action.
 

Read the report.