Rep. Alma Adams leads Charlotte food insecurity forum

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U.S. Rep. Alma Adams (D-N.C.) is leading a food insecurity and nutrition forum June 29 at Johnson C. Smith University.

Food insecurity is the focus of a Charlotte forum hosted by U.S. Rep. Alma Adams.

Adams and House Committee on Agriculture colleague Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) are leading “Focus on Food” on June 29 at Johnson C. Smith University with hunger and nutrition as focal points. The Agriculture Committee is taking up the five-year Farm Bill this year. The theme of events is “You Can’t Be Healthy if You’re Hungry.”

An 11 a.m. forum at the New Science Building will include a panel discussion with community leaders on food and nutrition issues.

The conference is open to the public by registering at adams.house.gov/FOF.

Adams, a longtime advocate for food security and small farm legislation, introduced a pair of bills in May to address hunger. She re-introduced the bipartisan Closing the Meal Gap Act of 2023, which is cosponsored by 64 House members and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) in the upper chamber. Fifteen percent of Mecklenburg County households are food insecure, according to a county survey.

The bill would increase the baseline for SNAP benefits by more accurately estimating how much working people spend on food.

“Over 40 million Americans depend on SNAP for their meals, even though SNAP benefits are not generous enough to feed a family or prevent child hunger. Unfortunately, the hunger crisis in North Carolina and across the United States is real, and it is devastating,” Adams said. “The Closing the Meal Gap Act will address this issue by strengthening the SNAP program for millions of people, including older Americans, people with disabilities, children, struggling parents, students, unemployed and underemployed people, and veterans. … No person should ever go hungry or malnourished in the greatest country in the world.”

SNAP benefits are based on the Thrifty Food Plan, which critics say inadequately calculates benefits for low-wage workers and families. SNAP benefits provide $2.03 per meal, and, according to the 2021 USDA Household Food Security report, the typical U.S. household spent 15% more on food than the Thrifty Food Plan allows. As a result, roughly 40% of all SNAP households are still food insecure.

The bill would authorize the standard medical deduction in every state permanently for seniors and disabled people applying for benefits at a minimum of $140. People with high expenses could still apply for a higher, itemized medical deduction.  Also in May, Adams, McGovern, and Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.) introduced the Opportunities in Organic Act to boost the organic marketplace by reducing cost barriers to farmers, expanding access to markets, resources, support and training.

Several current programs support organic agriculture, transition, and research, but don’t provide equity for organic producers. Certification costs and processes are barriers, and most producers have limited access to organic-specific technical assistance or mentorship.

“Organic agriculture is growing in North Carolina, but farmers seeking to join this market face barriers in transitioning their operations to make the most of this opportunity,” Adams said. “The Opportunities in Organic Act would make it easier for farmers to bring healthy, sustainable food to market. This legislation helps socially-disadvantaged, beginning, and smaller-scale farmers and ranchers make the transition to organic agriculture. It also builds capacity for much-needed technical assistance to producers, with an emphasis on institutions that serve socially disadvantaged farmers and have a track record of practical, farmer-focused work on the ground.”

Earlier this month, Adams, McGovern and Rep. Marilyn Strickland (D-Wash.), along with Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) introduced the Office of Small Farms Establishment Act, which would create a new Office of Small Farms at the U.S. Department of Agriculture that would directly serve small farmers with grants and technical assistance and ensure federal agriculture programs meet their needs.

“Massachusetts is home to over 7,000 farms — and small farms are our agricultural backbone,” McGovern said in a statement. “Every farm ought to have access to the same resources and support no matter their scale. The Office of Small Farms would partner closely with small farmers to help them learn about USDA programs and apply for grants. When every farm is given what they need to succeed, we grow closer to building more resilient local food systems for all Americans.”

Farms with less than 180 acres make up 70% of all U.S. farms but receive only 12% of federal payments – a gap that can be traced to staff shortages, program design, and resource disparities that disadvantage small farms. Small farms are considered critical to rural economies, food security, and food supply chains while producing more value per acre than their large peers.  

For instance, only 7% of small farms utilize crop insurance, demonstrating federal limitations for those operations.

Additionally, programs such as the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program don’t account for the higher prices small farms receive for selling directly to consumers or producing specialized products.  

“Almost 2 million farms and ranches in the United States are operated by small family farmers,” Adams said. “The Office of Small Farms Establishment Act would empower these farmers with the tools they need to make the most of USDA’s grant and assistance programs. Small family farms often lack the resources to apply for the very programs that could help them the most, and historically underserved farmers are more likely to operate their farms at a smaller scale.”  

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