Tag: WIC

IFPA, the largest and most diverse international association serving the entire fresh produce supply chain, welcomes the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) updates to its Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), helping to ensure fruit and vegetable access for millions of families.

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced today that USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has finalized updates to the foods prescribed to participants in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, known as WIC.

IFPA, the largest and most diverse international association serving the entire fresh produce supply chain, commends lawmakers for approving full funding for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), including a $1 billion increase for fiscal year 2024.

As IFPA launches a major campaign to preserve funding for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) in the 2023 (whoops—2024) farm bill, it could be helpful to look back and see what is going on with it now.

The International Fresh Produce Association launched its largest-ever ad campaign in support of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) to coincide with today’s WIC National Day of Action.

The fresh fruit and vegetable industry contends that these WIC cuts would be bad not only for American public health but for the industry itself.

Recent research by the USDA shows more than 6 million of those who are eligible for WIC are missing out on its proven health benefits.

As part of its ongoing nutrition advocacy work and in response to a bill that would strip fruit and vegetable Cash Value Benefits from the Special Supplementary Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, more than 70 allied associations and members of the International Fresh Produce Association joined with the organization in a sign-on letter opposing these cuts.

The Senate subcommittee’s legislation fully funds WIC, including the fruit and vegetable benefit amount at the current levels consistent with the National Academy of Science’s recommendations.  

Are you on the wagon? This has nothing to do with your alcohol consumption, which is none of my business. It refers to government benefits—specifically programs that subsidize food purchases for the poor.