The agriculture industry and hunger relief have been inextricably tied together since the beginning of organized government food assistance in the 1930’s. Without our country’s farmers and ranchers—which in Texas alone is a $100 billion industry, the food supply we depend on would be greatly depleted. Protections afforded to agriculture in fact show up in the same major piece of legislation that authorizes food stamps, the Farm Bill. (Note: having both nutrition assistance and agriculture assistance in the same bill assures votes from both rural members of Congress who tend to support agriculture and more urban members of Congress who tend to support SNAP.) Lately, this partnership between agriculture and hunger has been underscored with the advent of COVID-19.
On the agriculture side, the pandemic has been particularly harsh. News reports have shown farmers plowing over fields of perfectly good produce, slaughtering animals, and pouring out fresh milk. Much of agriculture’s production goes to restaurants and large buyers like school systems. When those dining rooms were shuttered under quarantine provisions, farmers and ranchers suddenly had many fewer places for product to go.
In Texas alone, the industry is estimated to lose $6-$8 billion. Commodities most impacted are the livestock, dairy, and produce industries. In the meat and dairy industries, consumer purchasing habits have greatly affected prices, as more consumers are spending money at grocery stores vs. eating out or consuming meals at school. Quantities and forms of meat and milk bought are vastly different (think: steaks vs. ground meat; single-serve milk cartons vs. gallon cartons). Additionally, the closures of meat processing plants have added to the issues. Produce’s perishable nature requires quick harvesting and distribution. That challenge, combined with (again) the closures of big purchasers such as restaurants and schools, have left producers with little option but to let product rot or be plowed over.
Product loss is not the only issue hurting the industry. Some producers are also experiencing up to a 50 percent decrease in harvesting crews due to labor shortages and the Department of State’s current processing policies for H-2A visas. Added to that, farmworkers are at high risk of contracting COVID-19 due to shared living spaces and close working spaces. About half of farmworkers are undocumented immigrants, meaning many do not have health insurance or paid sick leave.
On the hunger side, we are seeing a rise in food insecurity across the state. Texas SNAP applications have doubled, and food bank demand has risen by an average of 70 percent. Unemployment has hit hardest the industries with some of the most vulnerable workers already living paycheck to paycheck—restaurant, hospitality, retail, and personal services like hairstylists and dry cleaners. For those fighting for food justice, watching the disconnect between a surplus of food and increased hunger has been frustrating.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has attempted to address some of these issues through the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program, or CFAP, which provides $19 billion of federal money. Some of this funding is being used for direct payments to agriculture producers who have suffered a 5% or greater price loss. However, related to the agriculture-hunger partnership, $3 billion of the funding supports the “Farmers to Families Food Box Program.” Through this, USDA has awarded contracts to regional distributors to purchase meat, dairy, and produce, and pack them into boxes for food banks and pantries. Distributors are paid upon delivery of the product. The program attempts to help hurting producers while also helping people facing hunger.
Nevertheless, the program has not been without hiccups. A major issue was which distributors were awarded contracts. Many were companies without true experience in repacking and distributing perishable food. One San Antonio event planner, CRE8AD8 (“Create a Date”), was awarded $39 million even though it had no license to move produce and no trucks. It was not until a few weeks ago that the San Antonio Food Bank, who had been expecting product for some time, got its first box. Another company awarded a contract, Borden Dairy, has also seen problems. Despite its best efforts to reach out to nonprofits, by late May only 10% of the milk had been successfully delivered because few have the cold storage capacity needed to receive it. It has also been reported that USDA is paying well over retail prices despite the program’s intent to streamline the process of going from producer to food bank.
In some parts of the state, the program appears to be working well. However, agriculture industry experts agree that much more is needed to mitigate the estimated losses from the pandemic. The Agricultural and Food Policy Center at Texas A&M is closely watching the program and evaluating its impact as it is rolled out. Nonprofits interested in participating in Farmers to Families can contact an approved distributor in the Southwest region.
With the uncertain future of COVID-19 and our policy makers’ response to it, it is critical that people of faith speak out. Both our nation’s food supply and those needing food the most must be supported in future pandemic relief legislation. Congress has several funding proposals in the HEROES Act, passed by the House last month, that could help alleviate agriculture losses, assist farmworkers, and help hunger. The fate of these proposals now lies with the Senate.
What You Can Do:
- Support your local farmers and ranchers. Many Texas farmers are part of CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) which deliver to homes and businesses. This is a way for consumers to buy a “share” in a local producer’s product and receive seasonal produce and other products. To find CSAs near you, see: https://www.localharvest.org/csa/. Also, patronize your local farmers’ markets. See listings here. Many farmers’ markets in Texas have a “double dollars” program for SNAP and WIC recipients, where they can buy double the produce for half the cost with their benefits. There are also multiple Facebook groups directly connecting consumers with farmers. Here’s one: Shop Texas Farms
- Support innovative programs helping connect surplus produce to food banks during the COVID-19 crisis, such as Farmlink, started by students at Stanford, Brown, Georgetown, and other universities.
- Educate yourself about food systems resiliency, and how as a consumer you can support it in the pandemic and beyond. See here.
- Ask Congress to support additional funding for the agriculture industry in the next coronavirus relief bill. See this letter from the American Farm Bureau outlining what’s needed to address fallout from the pandemic.
- Ask Congress to provide specific funding to support agriculture and food systems workers, who are considered “essential” workers, but at great risk for COVID-19. For specific policy suggestions, see here and here.
Ask Congress to support increasing SNAP in the next coronavirus relief bill, both an overall 15% benefit increase and increase of the minimum benefit. SNAP helps low income consumers buy more food, which in turn supports the agriculture industry. SNAP continues to be the best response to hunger.