Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg (by Food Tank) 526. Crystal FitzSimons and Michel Nischan on Feeding Families and Fixing Food Policy
Oct 24, 2025
Crystal FitzSimons, President of the Food Research & Action Center, discusses the critical impacts of food policy on nutrition security and shares personal stories highlighting the importance of SNAP and school meals. Michel Nischan, Chef and founder of Wholesome Wave, reveals the innovative concept of produce prescriptions and its growing reach. They also delve into the challenges of federal funding cuts, the need for equitable support for diverse farmers, and the importance of building coalitions to advance food policy for healthier communities.
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SNAP Cuts Threaten Food Security
- FRAC warns that a recent budget reconciliation cut SNAP by ~20%, affecting millions and shifting costs to states.
- These changes risk increased hunger, administrative burdens, and tradeoffs in state budgets for services like education and Medicaid.
Protect And Expand Child Nutrition Programs
- Expand free school meals for all to ensure kids get healthy food and improve learning outcomes.
- Protect WIC funding because each dollar spent reduces Medicaid birth costs and improves infant health.
Nutrition Programs Save Healthcare Costs
- Food insecurity costs the U.S. roughly $160 billion yearly in health-related costs.
- Participation in SNAP and WIC reduces individual health expenses and saves public healthcare dollars.