WASHINGTON, DC - As we all know well in this industry, food insecurity is sadly a common challenge in the United States. An uplifting announcement was recently made on Capitol Hill, as Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Mike Braun (R-IN) and Representatives Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Jackie Walorski (R-IN) introduced the White House Conference on Food, Nutrition, Hunger, and Health Act. The United Fresh Produce Association applauds this monumental effort.

According to a press release, the only White House conference of this kind convened more than 50 years ago and spurred the expansion of key programs that addressed severe hunger and malnutrition.

“While hunger still persists, in the decades since 1969, our nation’s hunger problem has become a dietary quality problem,” said Tom Stenzel, President and CEO of United Fresh. “As we emerge from a pandemic that disproportionately impacted those with diet-related chronic disease, we simply cannot put off action any longer. We must be transformational in our approach to reverse our nutrition insecurity problem.”

This issue is close to United Fresh’s heart, as the association supports a series of key policy changes to help improve nutrition insecurity and dietary quality. These include the expansion of school meals and the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, increasing the fruit and vegetable benefit in the WIC program, adding a fruit and vegetable benefit to SNAP, increasing procurement of fresh fruits and vegetables in USDA purchasing programs, and more accurate labeling of foods that mislead consumers around fruits and vegetables at retail.

As further progress is made on this industry-wide goal, AndNowUKnow will be here to keep you informed.

United Fresh Produce Association