A Better Use for Food Abundance: The Legacy of the War On Poverty

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This week marks the 50^th anniversary of the War on Poverty set into motion in the early days of Lyndon B. Johnson’s presidency.  LBJ’s  first state of the union address  in 1964 included a declaration of war on poverty and a commitment by his administration to make America greater by ensuring fewer citizens struggle to survive.

The president’s many initiatives to curb poverty included significant reform of our food system. The 1965 Farm Bill supported a farmer’s ability to provide enough food, at the lowest cost, with little surplus and to make a fair income doing so.  Provisions in the bill ensured that food would not consume the family budget as it once did. Today, the U.S. farmer is the most productive in the history of the world.

The Food Stamp Act of 1964 made the pilot program that began in 1961 permanent and allowed eligible Americans to receive stamps so they could afford a nutritionally adequate diet.  More than half a million people participated in the new version of the program.

According to the latest report  from Texas Health and Human Services more than 3.2 million Texans  received benefits in December  2013, including  1.8 million children. The Census Bureau estimates that the child poverty rate would be about 3 percentage points higher without the program, which would place Texas as one of the top four worst states with child poverty.

President Johnson’s legacy of social programs may not have extinguished the financial suffering of Americans living in poverty, but it has certainly improved the quality of life for the poor and provided some level of security.  Because of his belief that we all deserve to have our basic needs met, many Americans didn’t have to worry about how they would eat, pay for medical bills or keep a roof over their heads.

The fight is far from over. Next on the horizon, Congress is considering devastating cuts to the food stamp program. Jobs at a liveable wage and a functioning safety net for those unable to work are critical for a healthy and nourished society.  We are all better off when fewer of us struggle to eat.  Thanks to Johnson’s legacy, America continues to have an abundant food supply.  Now, all we need is the will to end the unnecessary hardship of hunger.