Postindustrial Columnist Mark Yonkman, aka the “Rural Whisper,” says SNAP benefits should have been reformed in ways that would have benefited the nation’s farmers as a condition of reopening the government.
“I think there was a missed opportunity for Democrats … [to say] that we are for eliminating from the program, soft drinks, sodas, and water, which is about $12 billion a year, to increase the number of dollars going to farmers and also reduce the demand for food banks.”
Yonkman notes that less than 10% of the SNAP dollars go to farmers’ products, with most of the products purchased by SNAP recipients being processed foods and unhealthy items, such as soda.
“[Reforming SNAP benefits] This would have been a nice way to signal to farmers, ‘we’ve got your back.'”
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