A letter of mine that was published today in the Morton Grove Champion regarding how Farm Bill can better help food pantries. This is not necessarily Bread for the World's goals, but rather something the good people at the Greater Chicago Food Depository are pushing for.
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Thanks for spotlight on needs of hungry
Thank you for providing coverage about the needs of hungry people in your May 31 issue. It was fitting to see articles regarding “summer hunger” at the beginning of June, which is Hunger Awareness Month. Individual donations will help fight this phenomenon, but strong assistance can come from a change in the Farm Bill currently under reassessment in the House and Senate Agriculture committees. Food pantries rely heavily on bonus commodities- surplus crops bought by the government to assist farmers when prices are low. However, when prices are stable and farmers don’t need such aid, bonus commodities are not available and more people go hungry. Illinois Sens. Barak Obama and Richard Durbin as well as Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-9th, can help by supporting an increase in mandatory food purchasing for the Emergency Food Assistance Program to create a more robust aid system.
Printed in the Morton Grove Champion 6-21-07
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