Weekend reading: What the Trump administration has done to SNAP—and to grocery stores

One Year Later: How H.R. 1’s SNAP Policy Changes Are Reverberating Across the Food System

CSPI ad GFI frame this report in an interesting way, as a tale of two distinct, and sometimes at cross-purposes, Trump administration food agendas.

The first, reflected in Project 2025 and H.R. 1, represents an economic agenda focused on reducing federal spending on food assistance, shifting costs to states, and tightening eligibility so fewer people can access programs.

The second, embodied in the Presidentially-appointed Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission’s assessment report and strategy, is a nutrition and public health agenda: reducing chronic disease by limiting ultra-processed foods in federal programs, promoting whole foods, and emphasizing personal responsibility in dietary choices.

These two strands sit in significant tension with one another.

Do they ever!

In just the first 8 months, 4 million people lost SNAP benefits. More than 750,000 children no longer have access. And we don’t yet know the toll that SNAP and Medicaid losses will have on WIC and free school meal participation stemming from loss of automatic eligibility conferred through SNAP and Medicaid.

That was the intent of the law, no?

And here’s what Senator Elizabeth Warren says:

Impact on grocery stores

SNAP recipients account for an estimated 8% of grocery sales.  Fewer SNAP recipients means less income for grocery stores, especially those in low-income neighborhoods.

Estimated losses due to declining enrollments are about $10 billion.

____________________

Pub date is September 8. Pre-orders through UC Press get a 30% discount. Use promo code UCPSAVE30.