To the editor:
Legislators in our nation’s capital drafting the next version of the Farm Bill need to get their priorities straight. The largest portion of the Farm Bill deals with SNAP, commonly known as food stamps.
Drafts of the proposed Farm Bill include serious cuts to the SNAP program, at a time when people need it the most. Hunger has been on the rise, despite the best efforts of food pantries, soup kitchens, and community volunteers.
Reducing funding to SNAP is not the way to go about reducing the deficit. According to Feed America, the $1.1 billion Wisconsin spends on SNAP adds almost $2 billion to the economy. Economic benefits aside, this program helps hard working individuals and families survive.
The Farm Bill also includes many subsidies for commodity crops, such as corn and soy beans, which basically promote the production of unhealthy food and food additives like high fructose corn syrup. Fewer subsidies for commodity growers would leave more funds for food assistance programs and also lead to a healthier food system.
I urge you to contact our legislators to ask them to maintain SNAP funding and cut other areas such as these subsidies.
Laura Green, Madison