The energy in the room was electrifying. As I sat at the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health late last month, among a cross-section of nutrition policy experts, anti-hunger advocates, and people who have experienced hunger, I was struck by the overwhelming feeling of confidence and optimism.
President Joe Biden pledged to end hunger by 2030, a goal that is ambitious and achievable. For many, including myself, the number one takeaway from the conference is that eliminating hunger is achievable through collaboration.
There is good reason to feel optimistic. From my perspective as an economist who serves as a Greater Chicago Food Depository board member, the nutrition safety net has strengthened in the 50 years since the White House last hosted a conference on hunger, particularly with U.S. Department of Agriculture nutrition assistance programs.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps, was expanded as a result of the last White House conference on hunger, helping to feed about 41 million of our neighbors in the U.S. a month — nearly a million in Cook County.
More than 30 million children now receive a free school lunch thanks to investments in school meals. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) was introduced in response to the conference and today serves more than 6.2 million low-income women, infants, and children below the age of 5 who are considered at nutritional risk. And we now systematically measure hunger annually to track progress.
Also, over the last five decades, our nation’s charitable response to hunger has strengthened and become more coordinated. The Feeding America network of food banks, which the Greater Chicago Food Depository and Northern Illinois Food Bank belong to, serves all of the United States and Puerto Rico. The complementary work of nonprofit organizations and federal programs helps feed millions of Americans every year.
However, while we have made great strides, there is more work to be done. On the eve of the conference, the White House issued a number of policy recommendations. Among them, I envisage improving food access and affordability will have the biggest impact on hunger in Chicago, particularly the following steps:
- Increasing access to free and nutritious school meals for all would go a long way in ensuring that our children receive the nourishment they need to thrive.
- Expanding the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) program nationwide would also be a game-changer. Children would continue to have access to nutritious food throughout the school summer holidays instead of having to make a special trip to collect a meal at a designated site that may not be accessible.
- The application and recertification processes for SNAP and WIC (Women, Infants and Children food program) should be simplified to reach more underserved populations.
- More needs to be done to support older adults who are a growing population at risk of hunger, often living on limited income and with restricted ability to purchase and prepare the healthy meals they need.
- The expanded Child Tax Credit in place last year helped cut child poverty by nearly half and cut food insecurity for families with children by 26%. Making this expansion permanent would give us a running start as we work to eliminate hunger entirely.
I firmly believe, as many of my peers who attended the recent White House conference do, that ending hunger is achievable. We can build a stronger and more resilient food system. But we need to work together.
The conference has reignited national attention on hunger issues. Let’s keep the momentum going with innovation and the understanding that we can all play a role. Just like Chicago Police Sgt. Jermaine Harris, who spoke at the White House conference about his inspiring work in addressing issues of access, equity and rights through youth violence prevention programs and sports.
And like my neighbor Jake and his kindergarten classmates, who were hosting an apple cider stand as a fundraiser to help needy children on the day I returned home from the conference.
New approaches and neighborhood efforts like these are crucial in helping to move the needle. I believe we all have it within us to help.
Join us in this important work. Together we can end hunger for all our neighbors.
Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach is the director of the Institute for Policy Research and a professor at Northwestern University. She also a board member of Greater Chicago Food Depository.
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