Economic Information Bulletin No. (EIB-6-5) 6 pp

May 2008

The Food Assistance Landscape: FY 2007 Annual Report

Federal expenditures for USDA's food assistance programs totaled almost $54.3 billion in fiscal 2007, over 2 percent more than in the previous fiscal year. This rise marked the seventh consecutive year in which food assistance expenditures increased and the fifth consecutive year in which they exceeded the previous historical record. The five largest food assistance programs-the Food Stamp Program, the National School Lunch Program, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), the Child and Adult Care Food Program, and the School Breakfast Program-accounted for 95 percent of USDA's expenditures for food assistance. This report uses preliminary data from the Food and Nutrition Service to examine trends in the programs through fiscal 2007. It also discusses a series of recent ERS reports that compile evidence to help answer the question of whether the Food Stamp Program can do more to improve the food choices of participants.

Keywords: Food Stamp Program, National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program, WIC, food assistance programs, Food Assistance and Nutrition Research Program, FANRP

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