Farm Bill Frequently Asked Questions "The ELCA and the Farm Bill" Brochure (text) (pdf ) Hunger and the Farm Bill Fact Sheet (text) (pdf ) Religious Working Group on the Farm Bill Statement of Principles Take the Food Stamp Challenge! Join Faith Farm Teams ELCA Advocacy: Farm Bill Home

Frequently Asked Questions

3. What solutions does the Farm Bill offer in addressing hunger in this country?

The Farm Bill is a major vehicle for eliminating hunger through food and nutrition programs, which provide critical support for millions of low-income people in the United States who would otherwise go hungry.

Food Stamp Program
The Food Stamp program is a key part of the Farm Bill and is this nation’s largest and fastest-growing nutrition program. In each month of 2006, an average of 25 million Americans received assistance to buy food through the Food Stamp program.¹ Innovations such as the electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card that replaced paper stamps have increased the efficiency of the program.

The Food Stamp Program is an "entitlement" meaning that people who qualify for the program based on income are entitled to benefits. The Food Stamp Program has the reputation of being one of the most fair and efficient federal programs with a current error rate of 4 percent. With the cost of living escalating and the number of families living under the poverty line growing, the Food Stamp program will remain an important tool to combat hunger in the United States.

Other Programs
Also included in the farm bill are commodity food distribution programs such as:

• Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP)
• Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP)
• Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)

These programs supply essential emergency food assistance to low income people, including seniors and Native Americans, and support commodity farmers by providing a stable market for their products. Though they represent a smaller part of the farm bill, they are critical to service agencies like food banks, which serve hungry people and families seeking emergency food.

¹ Current Perspectives on Food Stamp Program Participation, Food Stamp Program Participation Rates: 2004; USDA June 2006. Authors Allison Barrett and Anni Poikolainen. (Executive Summary)

->Next: How does the Farm Bill address conservation and protection of land?

Learn More

Farm Bill Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the Farm Bill?
2. What are subsidies and commodities?
3. What solutions does the Farm Bill offer in addressing hunger in this country?
4. How does the Farm Bill address conservation and protection of land?
5. How does U.S. farm policy impact farmers at home and around the globe?
6. What progress has the Farm Bill made in building a stronger rural America?
7. What voice does the Lutheran church lend to discussion and debate about the Farm Bill?

Download "The ELCA and the Farm Bill" Brochure

Hunger and the Farm Bill Fact Sheet (text) (pdf )

Religious Working Group on the Farm Bill Statement of Principles

Get Involved

Join Faith Farm Teams

Join the ELCA Farm Bill online discussion on LutherLink
(If you are not yet a member of LutherLink, you can register here.)

Take the Food Stamp Challenge!

June 2007