Applying Racial Equity to U.S. Federal Nutrition Assistance Programs - Flipbook - Page 6
Executive Summary
Zach Blum for Bread for the World
In 2015, 193 countries, including the United States, committed to a series of global human development goals, the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They include ending hunger, as well as malnutrition (see glossary) in all its forms,
by 2030.5 All the goals are interconnected and emphasize the need to look holistically at the systems that affect a person’s or
family’s ability to survive and thrive. They call for increased attention to communities that have historically been left behind,
some of whom have high rates of hunger and malnutrition (see Appendix 29 for more on the global goals).
Communities of color in every U.S. region are at higher risk of food insecurity and hunger, largely because of structural
and institutional racism (see glossary). Efforts to reduce food insecurity and hunger
have not yet put the needs of communities of color at the center (see glossary) of
their analysis, policies, and programs.
“This report develops
This report develops a framework to reduce the racial nutrition divide (see
a framework that
glossary) by applying a racial equity lens to federal nutrition programs. People of color
applies racial equity
will only benefit from racial equality and reach optimal nutritional levels when the
principles to reduce
United States attains racial equity (see glossary). As the Institute sees it, the country
and its systems must attain racial equity before communities of color can enjoy the
nutritional divides.”
fruits of racial equality, including benefiting from optimal nutrition. (For more on
racial equity, see Appendix, Tool 2).
The programs analyzed in this report include the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) as well as its
alternatives on reservations and in U.S. territories; the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and
Children (WIC); and Child Nutrition programs (CNP). They are part of a larger continuum of federal programs for people at
risk of food insecurity and poor nutrition.
The methodology designed and used for this report (see page 9) can also be applied in fields outside both the nutrition and
anti-hunger communities. Improving nutrition is only one piece of the larger task of ending hunger. The findings of this report
can be used to extend the approach to other policies and programs that do not yet apply a racial equity lens but are critical to
responding to hunger holistically (e.g., jobs, housing, asset building, transportation).
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APPLYING RACIAL EQUITY TO U.S. FEDERAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS: SNAP, WIC AND CHILD NUTRITION
