CEO Action for Racial Equity commends the USDA’s historic decision to revise the Thrifty Meal Plan and increase Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits by approximately 27% to better reflect today’s food marketplace and the needs of consumers — the largest increase since the Thrifty Food Plan was introduced in 1975. The SNAP benefits help feed more than 40 million Americans each month.

The USDA’s decision is an important mechanism to drive racial equity, as food insecurity disproportionately impacts 19.1% of Black American households. Earlier this summer, CEO Action for Racial Equity outlined opportunities for the USDA to close this gap, including reassessing and modernizing the benefit allocation formula used by SNAP. Today, our Fellowship urges continued policy change to mitigate rising rates of hunger, including through improving access to benefits, access to healthy foods and child nutrition programs.

There is an immediate opportunity to continue the momentum in forthcoming legislation, where Congress can deepen its investment in our nation’s health. We call for policy change that reflects our key food equity principles as a Fellowship: Food is a basic human right and no one should go hungry, and all individuals should have dignified and equitable access to affordable and healthy food options in their community.