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AFBF and food banks ask Congress to keep food relief coming

The president of American Farm Bureau says hunger in rural areas was catapulted by the pandemic and its members and Congress stepped in to help.

Zippy Duvall testified before the House Agriculture Committee (this morning, “Our network of state and county Farm Bureaus across the country donated $5.4 million, 1.4 million pounds of food and 20-thousand pounds of milk to local food banks and local food pantries.”

Duvall says food insecurity crept into rural communities and Congress responded with increased SNAP benefits.

“I must tip my hat to you and Congress for making the USDA focus on this need by including the funding in the last COVID relief package.”

The head of the Atlanta area food bank, one of the largest in the Feeding America Network, urged the committee and Congress to “keep their foot on the gas” in helping Americans with food assistance, a need he says the food banks alone cannot meet that WILL go beyond 2021.