The National Grocers Association is deeply concerned by cuts and programmatic cost shift changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program outlined in the House Agriculture Committee’s latest budget proposal, NGA President and CEO Greg Ferrara said in a statement this week.
Independent grocers — often the only source of fresh and local food in rural and low-income communities — are vital partners in ensuring that SNAP recipients have access to healthy, affordable food in times of need while also serving as an economic engine for local communities and small businesses, Ferrara said. These cuts, if signed into law, risk undermining a long-running and successful public-private partnership, the statement added.
Ferrara said SNAP is not only essential to fighting food insecurity, but it is also an economic engine for thousands of local communities across the country. Supporting over 389,000 U.S. jobs across the food supply chain, SNAP also generates over $4.5 billion in state and federal tax revenue annually, according to NGA.
Local supermarkets are often economic hubs for small and rural communities, attracting other businesses while making it easier for families to live locally, said Ferrara, who added that this is even more important in economically challenged areas, where a local supermarket can help turn the tide toward prosperity.
NGA supports the committee’s efforts to address unacceptable error rates and to eliminate fraud and abuse by bad actors, however, the proposal to shift costs to states is a concern given the challenging headwinds that states face, Ferrara said.
“We urge Congress to pursue balanced reforms and solutions that strengthen the program, eliminate waste and fraud and uphold the health and economic well-being of American families, while preserving American jobs in our food chain and grocery industry,” Ferrara said.
