Giving Compass' Take:

• This report analyzes the current state of SNAP and discusses the future of food safety net programs in the United States.

• What key role do food safety net programs play in the US? What can you do to ensure equity and nutrition are highly prioritized in SNAP and other food programs?

• Read about the accessibility of SNAP benefits during the global pandemic.

This brief summarizes key points and critical questions about the “Future of SNAP,” highlighting approaches to improve nutrition policy to ensure health and food equity nationwide. This summary emerged from a workshop held in May 2015 at the University of California, Berkeley (UCB), which brought together leading researchers from UCB and other universities as well as representatives from respected non-profit organizations and government agencies.

SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps) is the fundamental safety net program in the United States, providing critical assistance to over 46 million people living in 23 million households. The majority of SNAP households include a child, an elderly individual, or someone who is disabled.1 One of the original purposes of the program was “to provide for improved levels of nutrition among lowincome households” and “to safeguard the health and well-being of the nation’s population.”2 Despite recent federal cuts to the program, SNAP participation rates are at an all time high, while error rates are at an all time low, without any significant increase in administrative costs.

Read the full report about food safety net programs at the Othering & Belonging Institute.