SERIES: COVID-19’s Long-Term Policy Implications - COVID-19’s Impacts on Food Insecurity

The COVID-19 pandemic has rightly become the sole focus of the public health policy world, but it is also having far reaching effects into policy landscapes way beyond healthcare. This blog post is the eleventh in a series that will explore how COVID-19 is changing American life, and as a result, impacting various policy areas. This series will explore changing American attitudes, examine new policy ideas, and project on legislative and regulatory activity we may see as a result of the virus in the months ahead.  

The economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic has left many Americans struggling to provide basic nutrition for their families. Beyond the impacts on individual households, food production facilities, where social distancing is difficult, have been hit hard by the virus, reducing capacity and, in some cases, forcing closures. This has left American farmers facing food waste, resulted in barren grocery store shelves and rising food prices, and reduced routine donations to food banks.    

Food Insecurity

To date, the COVID-19 pandemic has left at least 17.8 million Americans unemployed, forcing many to choose between paying bills and picking up groceries. Many of us have seen the aerial images of long lines of cars, waiting for hours to pick up food at a local food bank or non-profit. With a school year cut short and children at home, families who have previously relied on free or reduced lunches at school, are facing the additional challenge of trying to keep food on the table. Schools across the country have stepped up, with many offering free meals for pick up.

Between March 25 and April 10, The Urban Institute conducted a national survey of nonelderly adults. They found one in five, or 21.9 percent of, adults reported their household experienced food insecurity in the past 30 days. If the household had lost income or employment, the rate of food insecurity jumped to one in three or 29.6 percent.

This food insecurity crisis has been further complicated by public health restrictions and government lockdowns that have shuttered food service businesses and disrupted food supply chains. As grocery retailers have struggled to keep pace with surging demand and panic buying, they have dramatically cut routine donations to food banks, leaving these organizations with less food at a time of higher need. Feeding America, the nation’s largest network of food banks, with more than 200 affiliates, has projected that an additional $1.4 billion will be needed over the next six months to keep up with the surge in demand. 

The Early Congressional Response

To date, this sharp increase in food insecurity has seen some response from policymakers, although some would argue the impact has been minor when compared to the scope of the problem. For example, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), the first COVID-19 package passed in March, granted states new authorities under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program (SNAP) to provide emergency food stamps and modify procedures to make it easier for families to continue to receive assistance. The law allows for a temporary increase in benefits so long as the federal government remains in a public health emergency and a beneficiary’s state is under an emergency or disaster declaration. For the average household of three people, the increase is about $137 per month.

Additionally, the FFCRA launched the new Pandemic Electronic (P-EBT) program, which allows states the flexibility to provide low-income families with children a one-time extra payment to make up for school meals they qualify for, but missed while schools were closed this year. This additional benefit amounts to $5.71 per child per school day and the benefit is loaded on the same EBT card that the family uses to receive SNAP benefits. Though many states needed to overcome challenges in administering the P-EBT, most states are now implementing the program. Anti-hunger advocates are also pushing Congress to extend this program. They want the program extended through summer to replace summer meals programs with the possibility of extending into the next school year, if needed.

While there had been some optimism that stimulus checks and enhanced unemployment benefits would allow low-income Americans to afford food, data seems to suggest these funds are either being used to pay for past arrears or put into savings on the assumption a second COVID-19 wave this fall or winter could worsen economic conditions. As it could take years for the economy to recover food security experts believe additional relief may be needed in the next COVID-19 stimulus package.

Policy advocates have praised the immediate assistance measures intended to keep those impacted by the pandemic from going hungry. However, as COVID-19 persists, experts are now making the case these efforts are too small and too short-term to help millions of low-income families sustain themselves. There has also been frustration that roughly 40 percent of households already receiving SNAP benefits did not see an emergency increase because they are already receiving the maximum benefit each month — a technicality that means millions of the poorest households have not been eligible for extra assistance.

Legislative Proposals Under Consideration

Prior to the pandemic, Rep. Alma Adams (D-NC), vice-chair of the House Agriculture Committee, introduced the Closing the Meal Gap Act. This legislation would make SNAP benefits more generous and ensure the program better accounts for the high medical and housing costs many recipients face. Thanks to a few additions since COVID-19 arrived in the U.S., the bill now has 117 cosponsors. In April, a Senate companion was introduced by Sens. Kamala Harris (D-CA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). This bill could be ripe for action as negotiations on the next COVID-19 response measure continue.

Additionally, the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act, which passed by the House on May 15, includes a number of enhancements to the SNAP program. Though the HEROES Act represents only House Democrats’ opening position in negotiations, this bill:

SNAP Benefits: A Solution and a Non-Starter

Prior to the diagnosis of the first COVID-19 case in the U.S., almost 40 million Americans were receiving SNAP benefits. Extensive research has shown a strong correlation between food insecurity and chronic health conditions among various age groups. As a result, the SNAP program is viewed as a critical program that has demonstrated improved health outcomes and lower health care costs. 

A 2015 Health Affairs study found that “ food-insecure children are at least twice as likely to report being in fair or poor health and at least 1.4 times more likely to have asthma, compared to food-secure children; and food-insecure seniors have limitations in activities of daily living comparable to those of food-secure seniors fourteen years older. Thus, SNAP substantially reduces the prevalence of food insecurity and thus is critical to reducing negative health outcomes.”

SNAP provides important nutritional support for low-wage working families, low-income seniors, and people with disabilities living on fixed incomes. Close to 70 percent of SNAP participants are in families with children and more than one quarter are in households with seniors or people with disabilities. While SNAP provides a modest benefit averaging $129 per person per month, it forms a critical foundation for the health and well-being of low-income Americans.

Since the start of the pandemic, anti-hunger advocates have lobbied Congress to increase food stamp benefits to make it easier for households to buy groceries, arguing this is an efficient approach to feeding the hungry without the stress and stigma of waiting in lines at food banks. More specifically, these groups are seeking a 15 percent increase for SNAP until unemployment decreases. This would amount to about $25 more per recipient per month. 

Democrats have cited increasing SNAP benefits as a priority. However, the program has become so partisan the idea of expanding it has been a nonstarter for some Republicans, who see it as an attempt to permanently expand a program conservatives believe supports a culture of dependency by dissuading work. It remains to be seen if the pandemic can bridge the ideological divide.

New data released by USDA shows that the total number of people enrolled in the program in March was 37.3 million, a relatively small but significant increase from February when participation was 36.9 million. Additionally, the average monthly benefit per person, jumped up substantially to $137 per person as aid from Congress kicked in.

COVID-19 has also illustrated some of the shortcomings of the SNAP program as it currently exists. For example, during a time when Americans have been encouraged to stay at home, SNAP benefits cannot be used to order groceries to be delivered. As many SNAP recipients suffer from chronic conditions, trips to the grocery store could represent a large and unnecessary risk. The more high-risk individuals are out in the community, even if it just for essential activities like grocery shopping, the greater the concern for not only increased infection rates but also more difficult cases for the already burdened healthcare system. 

In 2016, in coordination with six approved states, USDA launched a pilot to study the possibility of expanding SNAP benefits to cover grocery deliveries. Seventeen more states have asked USDA to join the study since the pandemic began and have since spent weeks getting their programs up and running. Limited use of SNAP benefits for grocery deliveries became available in all of these states in May, but the expanded benefit is still not available to the majority of SNAP recipients. 

Food Production and Safety 

On April 28, President Donald Trump signed an executive order entitled “Delegating Authority Under the DPA with Respect to Food Supply Chain Resources During the National Emergency Caused by the Outbreak of COVID-19.” The executive order invoked the Defense Production Act (DPA) to keep meat and poultry plants open during the pandemic. Additionally, it granted USDA the same sweeping authority to take all appropriate actions to ensure meat and poultry processors continue operations consistent with U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OHSA) guidance.

There are broad concerns about farmworker safety given there have already been major COVID-19 outbreaks at farms and food production facilities. Labor advocates have been persistent that ignoring these essential workers’ health and safety not only threatens worker’s lives but also endangers the food supply. Further, they argue that without consistent requirements or standards to protect frontline workers, the extent to which growers are enacting COVID-19 protections depends on the leadership and resources of each business.

Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) introduced the Frontline At-Risk Manual (FARM) Laborers Protection Act (S. 4042), which would provide 10 days of paid sick leave to agricultural workers; provide pandemic premium pay at an additional $13 per hour for these workers in recognition of the personal risk of maintaining the nation’s food supply during the pandemic; help maintain payrolls and limit layoffs and furloughs in the critical industry; and implement recommendations made by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) regarding sanitation and social distancing in work sites, employer-provided housing, and transportation. In addition, the legislation would provide grants to agricultural producers to help them provide premium pay to their employees and purchase handwashing stations, portable restrooms, and PPE.

Some of the country’s largest abattoirs (processing plants or slaughterhouses) have been forced to halt operations temporarily after thousands of employees across the country have tested positive for COVID-19. The three largest shutdowns to date have been:

  • Smithfield Foods in Sioux Falls, South Dakota;

  • JBS Pork Processing in Worthington, Minnesota; and

  • Tyson Fresh Foods in Waterloo, Iowa.

These three abattoirs account for 15 percent of nationwide pork production, and while consumers may not have seen completely bare meat shelves at their local supermarket, this has certainly lead to shortages in certain cuts or brands of meat.

Protecting the Supply Chain and Preventing Waste

At the grocery store, shortages can emerge very quickly from disruptions to the farm economy because workers have only a short window to harvest, package, and ship perishable produce. As a result, farmers have been faced with difficult decisions around animal welfare and lack of demand.

In the pork industry, the demand for pigs has decreased, as has their value. Farmers have reported they are unable to sell pigs to processors and therefore have an accumulating population. They are also struggling to adequately feed their livestock, and many have had to slaughter pigs and dispose of their carcasses as they grow too large for slaughterhouse equipment. Videos of milk being dumped due to a lack of demand have also gone viral. Many agricultural products are still being produced despite the recent massive decline in demand, causing large surpluses and a lack of storage.

Despite these market changes, grocery costs have shot up since mid-March. Surpluses and market inefficiencies are driving meat and produce prices up drastically, making it harder for Americans to put food on the table. At a time when more Americans are cooking at home, this costliness has been particularly damaging.

The Trump Administration has relaxed certain regulations to address changing prices. For example, after the cost of eggs increased by 16 percent in April, the government allowed suppliers to shift their supply from restaurants to retail, which has helped bring prices closer to normal. In addition, the President directed USDA to set up the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), which utilizes $19 billion in funds from the FFCRA and CARES packages to provide direct financial support to farmers and ranchers, and for USDA to purchase and distribute fresh produce, dairy, and meat to food banks, community and faith-based organizations, and other non-profits.

Expanding on the FFCRA and CARES relief packages, Democrats have aimed to address some of these issues in The HEROES Act which:

  • Provides direct financial assistance to agricultural employers for the purpose of providing personal protective equipment (PPE), sick leave, family leave, and premium pay in line with support for other frontline workers included in our nation’s critical infrastructure, including $13 in premium pay above regular wages;

  • Provides nearly $20 billion in funding for childcare services for essential workers, including food supply workers;

  • Provides $25 million for CDC and OSHA worker safety guidance on farms and in food processing facilities;

  • Provides more than $9 billion to support healthcare in underserved and rural areas so workers and farmers have access to proper health care and testing resources; and

  • Provides legal status and authorizes employment to undocumented farmworkers and other workers essential to our food supply chain who are at risk of deportation, while ensuring protections for employers of these essential workers.

Negotiations on the next COVID-19 package have now begun in earnest, with the Senate Republican leadership unveiling the HEALS Act on July 27. The $1 trillion package is much slimmer than the Democrat’s $3.5 trillion proposal and does not include any mention of SNAP or food insecurity. There is, however, $20 billion in aid for the agricultural sector, delegating broad discretion on spending to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. The legislation would allow Sec. Perdue to use the aid to compensate livestock producers for losses from killing animals that could not be sent to slaughterhouses because of virus-related shutdowns and slowdowns.

Response From the Campaign Trail

Much to policy advocates dismay, the Trump Administration has given no indication it seeks to alter its plan to forge ahead with policies crafted prior to the pandemic. In May, USDA said announced it intends to appeal a court ruling that blocked the administration’s ability to impose stricter work requirements for certain food stamp recipients. If the appeal is successful, this could cut an estimated 700,000 people from the program. Additionally, in July, the administration published a proposed rule in the Federal Register, announcing its intent to close what it calls a "loophole" that allows states to give benefits to those who would not otherwise be eligible by raising or eliminating income and asset limits. Forty states and Washington, D.C., now take advantage of this option and have done so for many years. It would result in 3 million people losing SNAP eligibility. The public has 60 days to comment on the proposal and opposition is expected to be fierce.

While President Trump’s reelection campaign has not released statements or policy proposals related to food security, Vice President Joe Biden released a comprehensive policy plan for combatting COVID-19, which included a set of recommendations to tackle food insecurity.

Vice President Biden’s Plan would create a federal-state partnership, fully funded by the federal government, to expand SNAP relief for the duration of the crisis and broaden the type of food relief responses available to states. Vice President Biden’s specific policy proposals include supporting food banks across the nation, increasing home delivery of food, and replacing lost school meals. Further, the Biden campaign has expressed support for adjusting current policies that would cut off or deny food benefits to Americans unable to find work during the crisis and allowing schools to submit waiver applications, making it easier for them to get permission to provide food even when school is closed. 

Vice President Biden has also stated publicly, at a March 19 Yahoo News Town Hall on food insecurity, that he thinks much more needs to be done to ensure that meat processing employees are safe at work during the pandemic. In the words of Vice President Biden, “Absolutely, positively, no worker’s life is worth my getting a cheaper hamburger. No worker’s life is worth that."  

Olivia GardnerPlurus StrategiesFood Insecurity, COVID-19, Families First Coronavirus Response Act, SNAP, Food, Groceries, Closing the Meal Gap Act, HEROES Act, Food Chain, Food Production, Food Safety, CFAP