As part of its ongoing nutrition advocacy work and in response to a bill that would strip fruit and vegetable Cash Value Benefits (CVB) from the Special Supplementary Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), more than 70 allied associations and members of the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) joined with the organization in a sign-on letter opposing these cuts. The letter was sent to Capitol Hill prior to the House Appropriations Committee voting on the bill on June 14 and the Senate Appropriations subcommittee voting on June 22. IFPA also joined as a signatory with the National WIC Association, American Public Health Association, and the National Grocers Association on a statement supporting WIC's fruit and vegetable benefits.
On June 22, the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee passed a funding bill that included full funding of the WIC fruit and vegetable benefit amount to retain the monthly allotment for the five million women and children at $44 and $24, respectively.
During the House Committee deliberations, Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (D, IL-14) offered an amendment to restore WIC's full fruit and vegetable benefit amount. Congressman Andy Harris (R-MD) subsequently offered and passed, a secondary amendment – which amended the Underwood amendment to partially restore funding to WIC benefits by pulling money from the USDA Rural Energy for America Program used by producers to make renewable energy improvements. Rep. Underwood withdrew her amendment citing a "false choice" between which program to cut. The underlying bill was ultimately passed on a party-line vote with the WIC fruit and vegetable benefit cuts remaining in place.
"Plain and simple, the WIC fruit and vegetable benefit is a success story. We cannot turn our backs on this progress and the children who rely on this important benefit, which infuses needed resources that improve access to healthy fruits and vegetables throughout every community in this country," said IFPA CEO Cathy Burns.
Congress will now need to reconcile the differences in the legislation before September 30. To further strengthen the industry's voice on this issue, IFPA members are strongly encouraged to contact their members of Congress on this issue via the IFPA Advocacy Action Center.
As part of overarching efforts to further underscore the significance of the WIC produce benefits to Congress, the National WIC Association (of which IFPA is a member) produced Families Call on Congress to Maintain WIC Access to Fruits and Vegetables, which included these personal and profound perspectives from parents and grandparents.
"When WIC participants utilize their current fruit and vegetable benefits, it translates in a sales lift of more than $1 billion and a wider variety of fresh produce being purchased," said IFPA vice president of nutrition and health Mollie Van Lieu.
For more information:
Ashley Sempowski
International Fresh Produce Association
[email protected]
https://www.freshproduce.com/