Food Assistance & Nutrition Research Program No. (FANRR-28-4) 6 pp
The Food Assistance Landscape, March 2004
USDA's domestic food assistance programs affect the daily lives of millions of people. About 1 in 5 Americans is estimated to participate in at least 1 of 15 food assistance programs at some point during the year. Expenditures for USDA's 15 food assistance programs increased 9.4 percent in fiscal year 2003 to $41.6 billion. This exceeded the previous historical record of $38.1 billion that was spent on food assistance in fiscal 1996. Five programs-the Food Stamp Program, the National School Lunch Program, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), the School Breakfast Program, and the Child and Adult Care Food Program-accounted for 94 percent of USDA's total expenditures for food assistance, with the expansion of the Food Stamp Program being the cause of most of the total increase in food assistance expenditures between fiscal years 2002 and 2003.
Keywords: Food Assistance and Nutrition Research Program, Food Stamp Program, food stamps, National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Summer Feeding Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program, WIC
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