Newsroom

A new report released today from the White House Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) finds that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as Food Stamps, is highly effective at reducing food insecurity—the government’s measure for whether households lack the resources for consistent and dependable access to food. The report highlights a growing body of research that finds that children who receive food assistance see improvements in health and academic performance and that these benefits are mirrored by long-run improvements in health, educational attainment, and economic self-sufficiency. The report also features new research that shows benefit levels are often inadequate to sustain families through the end of the month—resulting in high-cost consequences, such as a 27 percent increase in the rate of hospital admissions due to low blood sugar for low-income adults between the first and last week of the month, as well as diminished performance on standardized tests among school age children.

USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture today awarded $2 million in grants to support research on nutrition education and obesity prevention for disadvantaged children and families at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and Utah State University.

Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the creation of the nation's first SNAP Employment and Training Center of Excellence. 

Under Secretary Kevin Concannon today announced an award of over $9 million in technology grants to help selected state agencies combat benefit abuse and trafficking by participants in SNAP. Projects in Alaska, Maine, Mississippi, Nevada and New Jersey were selected.

Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the availability of up to $16.8 million in funding to help SNAP participants in  increase their purchases of fruits and vegetables. The funding is available to local, state and national organizations to test incentive strategies to help SNAP participants better afford healthy foods.

Secretary Tom Vilsack today helped to kick off the nation's harvest season by announcing nearly $35 million in new funding through four grant programs to support local and regional food systems, including farmers markets.

Due to the Valley Fires, and effective immediately, retail food stores licensed by FNS to accept SNAP benefits in the following counties may accept SNAP benefits in exchange for HOT foods and foods intended to be consumed on retailer premises: Colusa, Glenn, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, Sonoma and Yolo. These special rules are in effect through Oct. 24, 2015

Under Secretary Kevin Concannon today announced $5 million in grants to state and local agencies and community partners to streamline application processing and improve technology in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The competitively-awarded grants will fund six projects in four states, improving efficiency in SNAP operations.

Secretary Tom Vilsack has declared Aug. 2 through 8, 2015, as "National Farmers Market Week." This year marks the 16th annual National Farmers Market Week in honor of the important role that farmers markets play in local economies. Throughout the week, USDA will celebrate thousands of our nation's farmers markets, the farmers and ranchers who make them possible and the communities that host them.

USDA is committed to improving the health and wellbeing of older adults, ensuring that all older Americans have access to healthy food and that older adults in rural America have access to housing. Low-income older Americans continue to be an underserved and vulnerable population, due in part to administrative complexities associated with participating in federal assistance programs.

Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the USDA is proposing to improve access to groceries for homebound seniors and people with disabilities who participate in SNAP by proposing to permit grocery purchasing and delivery services run by government and non-profit organizations to accept SNAP benefits as payment, allowing for home delivery to those unable to shop for food. 

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participants are spending more of their benefits to make purchases at roadside farm stands, farmers markets and directly from local farmers than ever before. SNAP redemptions at those outlets in FY 14 totaled $18.8 million, a nearly six-fold increase since 2008. Agriculture Under Secretary Kevin Concannon will laud the increase during a visit today to Philadelphia’s Clark Park Farmers Market.

Under Secretary Kevin Concannon today announced that up to $7.5 million in technology grants is available to combat recipient benefit abuse and trafficking in SNAP. 

Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services Under Secretary Kevin Concannon today announced the availability of up to $3.3 million in competitive funding to support the ability of farmers markets to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits provided through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) as a form of payment. These awards will help expand SNAP participants' access to fresh fruits and vegetables and other nutritious foods found at farmers markets, while supporting our nation's farmers and producers.

Under Secretary Kevin Concannon announced today the availability of $5 million in competitive grants to improve application processing and use of technology in SNAP.

Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA has awarded $31.5 million in funding to local, state and national organizations to support programs that help participants in SNAP increase their purchase of fruits and vegetables.

Secretary Tom Vilsack, joined by Labor Secretary Tom Perez, today announced the recipients of $200 million in competitive awards to fund and evaluate pilot projects in 10 states to help SNAP participants find jobs and work toward self-sufficiency. Projects in California, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Virginia, Vermont and Washington were chosen.