The U.S. is the world's top food supplier, yet 1 in 8 American households experienced hunger last year. That number includes 1 in 5 children in this country who go to bed hungry.
In Oklahoma, where poverty acutely strikes some pockets of the state, the overall food insecurity rate is worse at 15.6% in the state, compared to 12.8% nationally. That means 1 in 7 Oklahomans are not getting enough to eat.
There must be a better way to feed our fellow Americans.
One of the best interventions has been the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps. The government spent $119.4 billion on SNAP for fiscal year 2022, which is lower than the defense budget ($753 billion), Medicare ($747.2 billion), Medicaid ($591.9 billion) and veterans' benefits ($161.2 billion).
SNAP allows low-income families to supplement their food budgets. Most recipients are older adults, children, military veterans and disabled people.
For every $1 in SNAP benefits, $1.70 goes back into Oklahoma's economy through grocers, farmers markets and other locations, says Hunger Free Oklahoma.
SNAP is under constant assault, from fraud claims to efforts for restricting items for purchase. The biggest graft in this U.S. Department of Agriculture program was from outside card-skimmers, not by retailers or recipients (representing less than 1% of fraud).
Limiting what low-income people should buy is elitist. Trust that people know how to make their dollar stretch to best meet their needs. Small government is better in this case.
Oklahoma hasn't done well to get eligible people enrolled in the federal Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program. A USDA report out earlier this month found only 51.7% of eligible Oklahomans are participating.
Changes in the way school free-and-reduced-lunch programs operate open up possibilities for children. Kids cannot learn and cannot properly develop if they are hungry.
The USDA has changed its rules around the program to capture more children at-risk of hunger, but it requires state and local buy-in.
States moving toward universal school meal programs include Minnesota, New Mexico, Colorado, Vermont, Michigan, California, Maine and Massachusetts. States are leveraging federal money with state investments to ensure all children are properly fed.
This approach eliminates school lunch debt and stigma around the discounted meal programs. Some districts have worked to do this, including Tulsa Public Schools covering meals for all its elementary sites.
We're encouraged by Oklahoma lawmakers, such as Republican Rep. Jeff Boatman and Democrat Rep. John Waldron, who are pushing for more ways the state can help feed more children.
Partnerships are forming streamline food donations. Smaller efforts are underway to teach skills like cooking and food budgeting to youth. More could be done for expansion.
Hunger has far-reaching consequences, and proper nutrition is a way to overall well-being. As Oklahomans eat better, health outcomes fare better.
[Editorial / Tulsa World]
