Letter to President Biden on Hosting a White House Conference on Food, Nutrition, Hunger and Health

March 14, 2022

President Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear President Biden,

We, the undersigned national, state, and local organizations, ask you to publicly commit to convening a White House Conference on Food, Nutrition, Hunger, and Health. We can end hunger in America, and a public commitment to a White House Conference, with ending hunger as a key priority, is an essential step in accomplishing this goal.

Over 50 years ago, the first, and only, White House Conference on Food, Nutrition, and Health resulted in more than 1,800 policy recommendations to reduce hunger and promote nutrition and health. The 1969 Conference led to an expansion of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the National School Lunch Program, as well as the establishment of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). The Conference created the meaningful and necessary conversations to address hunger and food insecurity in America at the time.

Now, more than half a century later, conversations on how we will finally put an end to hunger in America are long overdue. More than 38 million Americans, including 11.7 million children live in households that struggle to put food on the table. Food insecurity negatively impacts health, educational access, workforce readiness and business productivity. In addition, the COVID pandemic has affected food security in all corners of America, while also widening the disparities in food insecurity among individuals who are Black, Indigenous, Latino and other people of color. Food insecurity in America is a political choice and there is an opportunity to take transformative action.

A new White House Conference would bring together a broad range of stakeholders to comprehensively address food, nutrition, hunger and health in America. The conference should include the expertise of government agencies, the anti-hunger community, individuals who have experienced hunger and poverty, businesses, academia, and grassroots, healthcare and faith-based organizations. Ideally, it would seek to create a real, concrete plan to eliminate hunger and food insecurity, address hunger’s root causes and ensure nutritious food is accessible to all.

As you proclaimed at your inauguration, “Ending hunger and malnutrition at home and around the world is consequential. If we do nothing today, food insecurity will loom as an even larger and bigger threat tomorrow. You’re fostering a world that is more just and peaceful.”

We could not agree more. With a strong public commitment and leadership, we can end hunger in America. We urge you to publicly commit to convening a White House Conference on Food, Nutrition, Hunger, and Health.

We stand in solidarity and are ready to support the White House in achieving this mission.

Thank you for your consideration,

National/International Organizations/Businesses

1,000 Days
A Place at the Table
AARP
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Alliance to End Hunger
American Society for Nutrition
American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition
BELONG
Bread for the World
CareCentrix
Cargill, Incorporated
Catholic Charities USA
Center for American Progress
Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP)
Center for LGBTQ Economic Advancement & Research (CLEAR)
CEO Action for Racial Equity
Children’s Defense Fund
Church World Service
Closing the Hunger Gap
Congressional Hunger Center
Corteva Agriscience
Defeat Malnutrition Today
DoorDash
Eating Disorders Coalition for Research, Policy & Action
Edesia
Equitable Spaces
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Fair Food Network
Farmlink Project
Feeding America
First Focus on Children
Food Forward
Food Research & Action Center
FoodCorps
FoodFinder
Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy, Tufts University
Friends Committee on National Legislation
Genchess Global
Glass Gardens Inc
Human Rights Clinic, University of Miami School of Law
Hunger Free America
Institute of Food Technologists
Islamic Relief USA
MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger
Meals on Wheels America
MEANS Database
National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities
National Association of Nutrition and Aging Services Programs (NANASP)
National Council of Jewish Women
National Family Farm Coalition
National WIC Association
Native Farm Bill Coalition
Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies
Nuro
Outreach Inc.
Poetry X Hunger
Presbyterian Church USA, Presbyterian Hunger Program
Presbyterian Church USA, Washington Office of Public Witness
RESULTS
Save the Children
School Nutrition Association
Share Our Strength
Sisters of Charity of Nazareth Congregational Leadership
Sisters of Charity of Nazareth Western Province Leadership
Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior
Souper Bowl of Caring
Swipe Out Hunger
The Arc of the United States
The Education Trust
The Forum for Youth Investment
The Hive Collective
The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice
unBox
Universities Fighting World Hunger
Urban School Food Alliance
Virginia Tech
WhyHunger
World Renew
WW International

State/Local Organizations/Businesses

A Beautiful Life Enterprises LLC
Alabama Childhood Food Solutions Inc.
Alabama Food Bank Association
Alabama Possible
AllCare Health
Arizona Food Bank Network
Atlanta Community Food Bank
Bay Area Women Coalition, Inc
Bayaud Enterprises
Benefits in Action Beyond Hunger
Burke County Senior Services
Burke County Senior Services & Nutrition Program (Meals on Wheels)
California Association of Food Banks
Caring Plate
Catholic Charities, Archdiocese of New York
City of Martinsville
Clinton County Senior Services
Community Action House
Community Bridges
Community Food Advocates (NYC)
Community Servings
Connecticut Foodshare
Cornucopia Community Advocates
Cumberland County (ME) Food Security Council
Davoya CDC
Denver Inner City Parish
Des Moines Area Religious Council
Ehrens Consulting
Feed the Hungry
Feeding Indiana’s Hungry
Feeding New York State
Feeding the Gulf Coast
FeedMore WNY
Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano
Food Bank of Delaware
Food Bank of East Alabama
Food Bank of Northwest Indiana
Food Gatherers
Food in Neighborhoods Community Coalition
Fountain Heights Farms
Franklin County Hunger Task Force
Great Plains Food Bank
Hall Hunger Initiative
Harvesters–The Community Food Network
Hunger Free Alabama
Hunger Free New Jersey
Hunger Free Vermont
Indy Hunger Network
Interreligious Food Consortium
JAS Foundation
Jewish Family & Career Services of Louisville
Jewish Family & Children’s Service of Greater Boston
Jewish Family and Children’s Services of Northern New Jersey
Jewish Family Service of Atlantic & Cape May Counties
Jewish Family Service of Greater Dallas
Jewish Family Service of Greater New Orleans
Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles
Jewish Family Service of San Diego
Jewish Family Services of Greater Kansas City
Kaizen Food Rescue
Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes
Local Matters
Long Island Cares, Inc.-The Harry Chapin Food Bank
Loudoun Hunger Relief
Manna Food Center Margins
Meals on Wheels Fairfield County
Meals on Wheels North Carolina
Meals on Wheels of Staten Island
Meals on Wheels of the Monterey Peninsula
Meals on Wheels Orange County
Meals on Wheels West
Metropolitan Interfaith Association
Montana Food Bank Network
Montgomery County Food Council
Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard
New Hampshire Hunger Solutions
North Texas Food Bank
Northwest Harvest
Nourish Colorado
NourishKC
Ohio Association of Foodbanks
Pitt County Council on Aging, Inc.
Poughkeepsie Farm Project
Project Bread
Public Health Solutions
San Diego Hunger Coalition
Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina
Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County (CA)
South Shore Elder Services
St. Vincent Meals on Wheels
Sustainable Agriculture of Louisville (SAL)
Tampa Bay Network to End Hunger
Thames Valley Council for Community Action
The Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger
The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts
The Greater Boston Food Bank
The Poverello Center Inc.
United Way of King County
United Women of Color
University of California Graduate & Professional Council
Washtenaw County Food Policy Council

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