Take Action for Food Security
Our communities are facing crises on several fronts: Family farmers are dealing with severe economic and financial pain, health care costs are skyrocketing, and funding for our country’s largest anti-hunger program has lapsed. Tell Congress to take action today!
Nutrition Assistance: On November 1, funding lapsed for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), our nation’s largest anti-hunger program.
The lapse in SNAP is harming hungry people in our communities and making it harder for us to fight poverty, while also negatively impacting food co-ops, community grocery stores, small businesses, and local farmers. USDA has access to a contingency fund for SNAP to at least partially pay November benefits, but it failed to tap this resource in October when it needed to.
Farm Economic Crisis: Recently enacted trade policies, and the retaliatory reactions by other countries, are wreaking havoc on our markets.
Crop prices are plummeting, input costs are soaring, and farm bankruptcies are rising. This is a perfect storm of chaos and uncertainty, and it is jeopardizing every family farm operation in the United States. Without swift intervention, many family farm operations in the U.S. are at risk.
Health Care: Health care costs are set to skyrocket in 2026, as funding for the enhanced premium tax credits – or subsidies – under the Affordable Care Act is set to expire at the end of the year.
These enhanced subsidies have helped lower health care costs for those seeking to purchase affordable health insurance, including more than ¼ of farmers and ranchers. If Congress fails to extend these enhanced subsidies, millions of Americans could see their monthly premiums more than double.
A court ordered USDA to use the contingency fund, and USDA initially said it would use those funds, but President Trump issued a statement casting doubt on USDA’s ability to move forward. Even if USDA moves forward to use the contingency fund to pay partial November benefits, many of these benefits will come late because of USDA’s inaction and failure to tap additional resources to ensure streamlined distribution of benefits.
What You Can Do: Consumers and producers are more likely to be heard in Washington, DC, when we raise our voices together.
ACT NOW: Tell Congress and President Trump that:
- SNAP must be fully funded. USDA should immediately restore full funding for SNAP by releasing SNAP contingency funding and tapping other resources to ensure we do not fall into a hunger emergency across the country.
- Family farmers need immediate economic assistance and long-term reforms that restore fairness, competition, and opportunity in agriculture. While immediate economic assistance is needed, that aid should be directed to family farmers – NOT to corporate monopolies.
- Temporarily or permanently extend the enhanced subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, to prevent steep hikes in health care costs from taking effect.
Join the New England Farmers Union! The New England Farmers Union envisions a world in which farm families and their communities are respected, valued, and enjoy economic prosperity and social justice. Neighboring Food Co-op Association members can join and support our advocacy at a special discount! For more information, please visit www.newenglandfarmersunion.org.