While partisan congressional infighting appears to have delayed the passage of a new Farm Bill until next year, there is still time for Congress to take a small, but meaningful, step forward to help the dairy industry bring its products to market more efficiently.
The U.S. dairy industry supports more than 3.2 million American jobs that generate $49 billion in direct wages. Unfortunately, hiring and retaining a workforce to fill those jobs and run dairy farms and processing plants year-round is an ongoing challenge.
For decades, the federal government has worked to ensure all Americans are “food secure,” which simply means that everyone — regardless of economic circumstances — should have enough food to eat.
The dairy industry is urging policymakers to make five specific changes to ensure the nutritional benefits of dairy are more accessible to children and families participating in these programs.
Congress is expected to take up legislation this fall to reauthorize federal child nutrition programs, including the school meals programs and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (“WIC”), which provides nutritious foods to supplement the diets of low-income pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding women, as well as infants and children up to age 5.