Walmart, Kroger, and Dollar Store didn't beat local grocers through competition. They bought politicians to rig the rules.

Millions of Americans now live in food deserts. The antitrust law to fix it is still on the books — we just stopped enforcing it in 1980.

Who's ready to dust it off?

#FoodDeserts #CorporateGreed #MonopolyPower

https://jimhightower.substack.com/p/why-should-we-allow-food-monopolies-6b9

🌮 🍒 🥟 🌍 Food security is food justice (and a climate solution)
"Even as food production increases to feed our growing population, the way we produce our food and the quality of that food has diminished the health of people and the planet."
#Food #Solutions #SocialJustice #FoodDeserts
#Racism #Poverty
#Climate #Environment

https://www.climatesolutions.org/article/2025-10/food-security-food-justice-and-climate-solution

What the data says about food stamps in the U.S. – Pew Research Center

Read our research on: Economy & Work, Middle East, and Donald Trump

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What the data says about food stamps in the U.S.

By Drew DeSilver

Even before large pieces of the federal government shut down in October 2025, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP – sometimes called the food stamp program – was in for some big changes.

The tax, spending and policy bill passed by Congress earlier this year expanded work requirements for SNAP, tightened eligibility rules, imposed new cost-sharing obligations on states and made other changes to the program. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that the changes will reduce federal spending on SNAP by $186.7 billion over the next decade.

But the 43-day shutdown created further challenges for the program, which helps nearly 42 million Americans put food on the table. While October benefits were paid in full and on time, November’s payments got caught up in a tangle of lawsuits, conflicting court rulings and short-term, state-level fixes. The law reopening the government funds SNAP through September 2026, the end of the current fiscal year.

Here’s a closer look at the food stamp program, based on data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (whose Food and Nutrition Service administers SNAP), the Census Bureau and other sources.

• How many Americans use food stamps?
• How has the number of food stamp recipients changed over time?
• Who is eligible for food stamps?
• What work requirements are there for receiving food stamps?
• What do we know about food stamp recipients in the U.S.?
• How much do food stamp recipients get each month?
• Where is food stamp usage highest and lowest?
• What can you buy with food stamps? What can’t you buy?
• Where can people use food stamps? Where do they use them most frequently?
• How much does the federal government spend on food stamps each year?
• How has the cost of the food stamp program changed over time?
• Why are they called “food stamps,” anyway?

How we did this

Pew Research Center conducted this analysis to learn more about the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps. The nation’s largest food assistance program, SNAP became entangled in the 43-day budget standoff between congressional Democrats, Republicans and the Trump administration.

Our main data source was the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), the agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers SNAP and other food assistance programs. We supplemented the FNS data with data from the Census Bureau’s Survey of Income and Program Participation, which focuses on the demographic and other characteristics of people and households who receive various forms of federal assistance. We also used the Census Bureau’s population and household estimates in some of our analyses. Finally, we obtained government expenditure data for other federal assistance programs from the Office of Management and Budget.

Our analysis of SNAP participation rates in states and territories used data on SNAP recipients for May 2025 and Census Bureau population estimates for July 2024, the most recent available. For Guam and the Virgin Islands, which the census did not publish estimates of, we used 2024 population estimates from the CIA World Factbook.

How many Americans use food stamps?

The numbers vary from month to month. But in May 2025, the most recent month with available figures, 41.7 million people in 22.4 million households received SNAP benefits. That works out to nearly 1 in every 8 people in the country.

On average, 42.4 million people in 22.7 million households received monthly SNAP benefits through the first eight months of the 2025 fiscal year (October 2024 to May 2025).

SNAP operates in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam and the Virgin Islands. A separate program provides nutrition assistance grants to Puerto Rico, American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands.

 Editor’s Note: The full online article linked below is long and great. Contains multiple looks at the SNAP and hunger and safety net matter. In addition, based on the report data, I had my AI partners (ChatGPT & Google Gemini) prepare two (2) images to illustrate the data. They are posted below. –DrWeb

Continue/Read Original Article Here: What the data says about food stamps in the U.S. | Pew Research Center

#america #americans #disabled #economics #education #foodDeserts #foodStamps #history #homeless #hungry #pewResearchCenter #poor #safetyNet #snapData #started1964 #trump #unitedStates

The Correlation Between Single-Person Households and Food Deserts
The correlation between single-person households and food deserts is a close and complex social issue. It can be described as having a "strong positive correlation where the two factors exacerbate each other."

#fooddeserts #Mulberry #single-person_household #Population_decline
More new beginnings are needed.

https://bit.ly/3IMOBTI

Facing funding crisis, coalition urges #Utah community to support #FoodJustice mission

by FRESH LIVING
Fri, August 8th 2025

KUTV — "As #FoodInsecurity surges across Utah, the #FoodJusticeCoalition is stepping up with a mission that goes far beyond simply feeding people.

"Led by Founder and CEO Jeanette Padilla Vega, the nonprofit is addressing hunger at its roots—through equity, cultural relevance, and bold community action. She spoke to Kari Hawker-Diaz about their work.

"A first-generation immigrant and systems strategist, Padilla Vega has become a leading voice for food justice across the state. Her trauma-informed, culturally responsive approach has helped the organization serve over 75,000 meals and mobilize thousands of volunteers in just a few years.

"But the meals distributed by the coalition are more than just sustenance. They’re intentionally crafted to be nutrient-dense and culturally appropriate—something Padilla Vega sees as essential in the fight against hunger.

"That human-centered philosophy has made the Food Justice Coalition a trusted ally for marginalized communities across Utah. But now, the organization is facing one of its biggest challenges yet: a critical funding gap.

"Despite the funding crisis, Padilla Vega remains hopeful. She believes in the power of #CollectiveAction—and she’s asking the community to step up once again.

How You Can Help:

- Make a donation to support ongoing meal distribution.
- Volunteer your time with the Food Justice Coalition.
- Spread the word about the organization’s mission and impact.

Source:
https://kutv.com/features/fresh-living/facing-funding-crisis-coalition-urges-utah-community-to-support-food-justice-mission

To learn more, get involved or donate, visit:
https://www.foodjusticecoalition.org/

#FundingCuts #USPol #FoodDeserts #FoodPantries #FoodJustice