Missouri Eliminates $2M Program for Fresh Produce After SNAP Junk Food Push
Missouri lawmakers cut $2M in funding for a program helping SNAP recipients buy fresh produce, contradicting their earlier push against junk food purchases.
JEFFERSON CITY, MISSOURI — Missouri lawmakers eliminated $2 million in state funding for a program that helps low-income families purchase fresh fruits and vegetables, just months after arguing the state should steer SNAP recipients away from buying junk food.
The Double Up Food Bucks program, which allows people enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to double the amount of fresh produce they can purchase with their benefits, lost its state funding in the budget passed by lawmakers earlier this month.
The program operates at more than 70 participating grocery stores and farmers markets across Missouri through the Mid-America Regional Council, which runs the initiative in both Missouri and Kansas.
Program Impact and Expansion at Risk
Donna Martin, director of Double Up Food Bucks in Kansas and Missouri, said the loss of state funding threatens the program’s stability and expansion efforts. The program currently draws funding from federal, state and private sources.
“The Missouri state funding is the reason why we have locations in Missouri that are outside of the Kansas City area,” Martin said.
While the program is not in immediate danger if Governor Mike Kehoe signs the budget, Martin warned that losing state support would make it harder to expand into underserved parts of Missouri where the program currently has few partners.
Lawmakers Highlight Contradiction
The funding cut has drawn criticism for contradicting earlier legislative efforts to improve nutrition among SNAP recipients. During this year’s legislative session, lawmakers argued the state should discourage low-income families from purchasing candy, soda and desserts with public benefits.
Democratic state Representative Ian Mackey of St. Louis highlighted the contradiction during House budget debate earlier this month.
“A few weeks ago, we had a discussion about what poor people can and can’t buy and about how they shouldn’t be buying cake, they should be buying broccoli,” Mackey said. “For the last several years, we’ve had a line in [the budget] that helped poor people buy more broccoli. And you all zeroed it out.”
Program Operation and Benefits
The Double Up Food Bucks program allows SNAP recipients to receive matching funds when purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables at participating locations. For every dollar spent on eligible produce using SNAP benefits, participants receive an additional dollar to spend on more fresh items.
The initiative aims to increase access to healthy foods while supporting local farmers and retailers. The program’s network includes both traditional grocery stores and farmers markets throughout Missouri.
The budget elimination comes as nutrition advocates continue pushing for policies that encourage healthy food choices among recipients of government assistance programs. The cut affects funding that has supported the program’s operations and expansion efforts across the state for several years.
