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Opinion | Harmful Farm Bill proposal would worsen food insecurity in Michigan
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The US House of Representatives passed a Farm Bill proposal in late April that fails to address the devastating cuts made to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) as a part of last year’s unconscionable federal megabill. As the proposed bill moves on to the US Senate, it’s imperative that we speak up for the more than 1.4 million Michiganders who participate in SNAP.
The bill would make it even harder for many families to afford groceries at a time prices continue to rise. A strong Farm Bill should fight hunger, not exacerbate it.
Here in Michigan, almost 40% of the state’s 1.4 million SNAP participants are children, and the American Academy of Pediatrics has stressed to Congress that the youngest among us are relying on SNAP for their health and nutritional needs. Weakening this essential program will threaten their ability to grow up healthy and strong.
County-level analysis released last month revealed that food insecurity affects families all over Michigan, with high rates of child food insecurity seen in northern, more rural counties as well as downstate urban counties. Of the 20 counties with the highest rates of child food insecurity, 17 are in northern Michigan. The children growing up in these counties will already be harmed by the restrictions and cuts made to SNAP in the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” last year. This proposed Farm Bill would pile on the damage for families already struggling to get by.
And northern Michigan kids aren’t the only ones at risk. Food insecurity is on the rise around our state, with the highest increases seen among children, at 46%; adults ages 50-59, at 74% and adults ages 60 and older, at 40% from 2021 to 2023. The rise in food prices and the skyrocketing costs for other basic necessities have all contributed to where we are now, pointing to the need to improve SNAP, not weaken it.
Supporters of the House bill have claimed it will support farmers and strengthen agriculture. But farmers disagree. In fact, small and midsize farmers have argued that the bill fails to adequately support the farmers who are under the greatest economic pressure, and now that costs are rising for farmers, that pressure is even greater. More than 300 farm, food and rural organizations led by the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition formally opposed the House bill, warning that it prioritizes large commodity interests while failing to address the needs of small and mid-sized farmers
This is especially relevant for Michigan, which is one of the most diverse agricultural states in the country, with over 47,000 farms, 2,000 food processors and more than 300 agricultural commodities produced annually. The food and agriculture industry contributes well over $100 billion to Michigan’s economy each year, making it a major economic driver for our state that would be negatively impacted by the short-sighted Farm Bill passed by the House.
Michigan’s rural economies could also take a hit. Analysis from the Center for American Progress estimates that more than 27,000 SNAP-authorized retailers nationwide could be financially harmed by proposed SNAP cuts, threatening local grocery stores and jobs in many rural communities.
The Senate should pass a Farm Bill that supports a food system that works for producers and consumers alike. It should be a bill that helps farmers and alleviates hunger at the same time. In the wake of last year’s federal megabill, which made the largest cuts to SNAP in the program’s history in order to give major tax breaks to the wealthy, it’s time to do the right thing for families and children in this country.
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