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Vilsack says SNAP enhances employment and agriculture

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says the USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is not welfare.

“This is really about maintaining the health of everyone by making sure that people have adequate access to healthy foods,” said Vilsack.

SNAP, formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, also means enhanced employment by resulting in more transportation and stocking of groceries, according to Vilsack, as well as supporting agriculture in general.

“And so it’s a benefit to farm communities and it’s a stabilizing impact,” said Vilsack, speaking at the recent National Anti-Hunger Policy Conference, “so there is a rippling effect of these programs that should not be underestimated.”