SD Food Policy Action Network
Why Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) at ALL Farmers' Markets Benefits San Diego
Proposal: San Diego County should make it mandatory for all markets to accept EBT.
While the Farm Bureau site currently highlights only two, currently, six of 48 markets support EBT, including the new Southeastern San Diego Farmers' Market, where agency folks are available on site to process applications and direct applicants to alternatives including SNAP, WIC, Fresh Fund, etc. Equitable access to the fresh, local food that farmers' markets provide is a pivotal issue for those who care about building a vital and sustainable regional economy, food security in times of economic and cataclysmic crisis, and improving community health in under-resourced regions. San Diego has rated poorly--the worst in the nation--when evaluated on its ability to deliver emergency food assistance to those in need. This is bad for the children and families who need a leg up in these hard times when many San Diegans are unemployed, and it is bad for the regional economy, when federal dollars are sent back to agencies in D.C. rather than being spent in San Diego. (See the November 2010 story by KPBS.)
The "1 in 10" platform encourages San Diegans to consider how equitable food access figures alongside the other changes we pursue to restore our County's ability to provide for its population, protect its environment, and nourish a flourishing, local economy.
A new study by the California Food Policy Advocates uses data from the CA Legislative Analysis Office indicating that participation in CALFresh (SNAP) is good for the state and local economies:
"Impact on State and Local Economies
CalFresh benefits support households by increasing their ability to purchase adequate amounts of nutritious food. But CalFresh benefits do more than help individual households. USDA has shown that every dollar in SNAP expenditures generates $1.79 in economic activity.In addition to helping people put food on the table CalFresh benefits exert a multiplier effect that stimulates the economy.
Impact on State and Local Budgets
The California Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) asserts that CalFresh benefits help “generate revenue for the state and local governments.”Receiving CalFresh benefits can allow households to redistribute income that would normally be allocated to purchasing food. A portion of this redistributed income can be spent on taxable goods, which generates sales tax revenue for the state and counties. This revenue‐generating effect occurs soon after CalFresh benefits are issued, as eligible households are, by necessity, more likely to spend (rather than save) any additional income within weeks of its being received.
Low CalFresh Participation Means Lost Dollars for All
Low CalFresh participation means less for all Californians – less nutrition assistance for eligible households, less economic activity, and less sales tax revenue for the state and local governments. These losses can be mitigated by eliminating unnecessary barriers to CalFresh participation. This report describes key steps California should take in improving CalFresh participation to recoup lost dollars and fill empty plates."
-CA Food Policy Advocates, Lost Dollars, Empty Plates
(Coming Soon. . ."How hard is it to accept EBT?". . .)
Resources:
1. See Real Food, Real Choice: Connecting SNAP Recipients with Farmers Markets. By Suzanne Briggs, Andy Fisher, Megan Lott, Stacy Miller, and Nell Tessman in collaboration with the Farmers Market Coalition. July 2010, 84 pages. (download pdf)
While the Farm Bureau site currently highlights only two, currently, six of 48 markets support EBT, including the new Southeastern San Diego Farmers' Market, where agency folks are available on site to process applications and direct applicants to alternatives including SNAP, WIC, Fresh Fund, etc. Equitable access to the fresh, local food that farmers' markets provide is a pivotal issue for those who care about building a vital and sustainable regional economy, food security in times of economic and cataclysmic crisis, and improving community health in under-resourced regions. San Diego has rated poorly--the worst in the nation--when evaluated on its ability to deliver emergency food assistance to those in need. This is bad for the children and families who need a leg up in these hard times when many San Diegans are unemployed, and it is bad for the regional economy, when federal dollars are sent back to agencies in D.C. rather than being spent in San Diego. (See the November 2010 story by KPBS.)
The "1 in 10" platform encourages San Diegans to consider how equitable food access figures alongside the other changes we pursue to restore our County's ability to provide for its population, protect its environment, and nourish a flourishing, local economy.
A new study by the California Food Policy Advocates uses data from the CA Legislative Analysis Office indicating that participation in CALFresh (SNAP) is good for the state and local economies:
"Impact on State and Local Economies
CalFresh benefits support households by increasing their ability to purchase adequate amounts of nutritious food. But CalFresh benefits do more than help individual households. USDA has shown that every dollar in SNAP expenditures generates $1.79 in economic activity.In addition to helping people put food on the table CalFresh benefits exert a multiplier effect that stimulates the economy.
Impact on State and Local Budgets
The California Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) asserts that CalFresh benefits help “generate revenue for the state and local governments.”Receiving CalFresh benefits can allow households to redistribute income that would normally be allocated to purchasing food. A portion of this redistributed income can be spent on taxable goods, which generates sales tax revenue for the state and counties. This revenue‐generating effect occurs soon after CalFresh benefits are issued, as eligible households are, by necessity, more likely to spend (rather than save) any additional income within weeks of its being received.
Low CalFresh Participation Means Lost Dollars for All
Low CalFresh participation means less for all Californians – less nutrition assistance for eligible households, less economic activity, and less sales tax revenue for the state and local governments. These losses can be mitigated by eliminating unnecessary barriers to CalFresh participation. This report describes key steps California should take in improving CalFresh participation to recoup lost dollars and fill empty plates."
-CA Food Policy Advocates, Lost Dollars, Empty Plates
(Coming Soon. . ."How hard is it to accept EBT?". . .)
Resources:
1. See Real Food, Real Choice: Connecting SNAP Recipients with Farmers Markets. By Suzanne Briggs, Andy Fisher, Megan Lott, Stacy Miller, and Nell Tessman in collaboration with the Farmers Market Coalition. July 2010, 84 pages. (download pdf)
