FRAC study shows average household food spending declining
December 09, 2011 | 02:33 PM | Filed in: Nutrition
The Food Research & Action Center has released a study showing that average household spending on food fell from 2000 to 2010, with particularly dramatic drops in Hispanic and African-American households. FRAC attributed the drop to overall declining household incomes.
Jim Weill, Food Research & Action Center
“This squeeze on food spending, especially among lower-income groups, can be largely attributed to a decade of falling incomes and rising housing costs,” FRAC President Jim Weill said in a news release this week.
“The only positive note was that Congress in early 2009 enacted a boost in food stamp (SNAP) payments,” Weill said. “FRAC attributes the small improvement in the food spending ratio from 2008 to 2009 to this boost in SNAP benefit levels, as well as a temporary slowdown in food inflation.
“Even a modest improvement in SNAP benefit levels made a difference for struggling households by slightly increasing their purchasing power,” he said. “Several proposals to cut or limit SNAP have been introduced in Congress, and this analysis underscores just how harmful those cuts would be.
“It also underscores the need for Congress to act on the president’s commitment to forestall an actual cut in benefits scheduled for 2013,” Weill said. “As Congress heads into a new legislative session, it must continue to protect and improve the nation’s safety net, including SNAP, and focus on measures to rebuild the economy.”
“This squeeze on food spending, especially among lower-income groups, can be largely attributed to a decade of falling incomes and rising housing costs,” FRAC President Jim Weill said in a news release this week.
“The only positive note was that Congress in early 2009 enacted a boost in food stamp (SNAP) payments,” Weill said. “FRAC attributes the small improvement in the food spending ratio from 2008 to 2009 to this boost in SNAP benefit levels, as well as a temporary slowdown in food inflation.
“Even a modest improvement in SNAP benefit levels made a difference for struggling households by slightly increasing their purchasing power,” he said. “Several proposals to cut or limit SNAP have been introduced in Congress, and this analysis underscores just how harmful those cuts would be.
“It also underscores the need for Congress to act on the president’s commitment to forestall an actual cut in benefits scheduled for 2013,” Weill said. “As Congress heads into a new legislative session, it must continue to protect and improve the nation’s safety net, including SNAP, and focus on measures to rebuild the economy.”
